Original artwork, not a still
The Handmaid's Tale · 1985
Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The Commander's reply admits that Gilead was built on a trade in which somebody always pays. He says it as a small shrug, which is more chilling than a speech. The line is quoted whenever a policy is sold as an improvement while its costs fall on a hidden group. It was also used in the 2017 TV series.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Handmaid's TaleShow the scene
Offred hears this from the Commander in a late private talk, in Chapter 32. He has defended the new order with the line about omelettes and broken eggs, and says they thought they could do better. Offred asks, in a small voice, how he can think this is better. He answers with the line. The speaker is the Commander, not Aunt Lydia as listed.
Sources (1)
- Margaret Atwood (Wikiquote)The Handmaid's Tale section, Chapter 32 (p. 211)Reference checked
Context reviewed
