The setting of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the created Republic of “Gilead” has very little human connection on surface level. Inspired by events from history such as the Gestapo and censorship of Nazi Germany, Atwood constructs a setting which explores a society seemingly with no free and honest connection at all, using the motif of “eyes” throughout the book to reinforce the idea of surveillance and censorship that allows only prescribes phrases such as “under his eye” (again drawing attention to the “eyes”, a secret police motivated by twisted biblical intentions). The physically closest form of connection allowed to the Handmaids is arguably the sick and twisted “Ceremony”, a state-sanctioned rape partially wrote as an extreme version of Romanian Decree 770, wherein all fertile women had to undergo mandatory testing to try and improve falling birth rates. The lack of true connection apart from the subverted, unnatural connection of the “Ceremony” (note how Atwood uses the expletive verb “fucking” to describe in a shocking way the horror and detachment of the act, all other labels being “inaccurate”), is only possible in the setting of Gilead. Atwood presents this setting as one that its characters wish to escape from, largely in order for them to regain human connection. The extent to which Offred is motivated by this desire for connection is shown when Offred becomes indifferent to escape and resistance towards the end of the novel after starting a relationship with Nick, a guardian. She describes how “I no longer credit” Ofglen, the member of the Mayday resistance, as “What use are they, for me, now?” The answer to the question seeming stupidly obvious to the reader. Offred’s complacency and questioning of her need for freedom is brought on by the satisfaction of her need for human connection, and through the creation of a setting where escape should be the most desirable thing, Atwood explores the importance of human connection to people; even in the most dire of situations, connection and companionship outweighs freedom and makes confinement bearable.