MovieChat Forums > The Handmaid's Tale (1990) Discussion > Previous Offred (Spoiler Q)

Previous Offred (Spoiler Q)

posted 15 years ago by peanuts044
6 replies | jump to latest

So, I kind of missed this, but what really happened to the previous Offred? I know they said that she killed herself, and then that she "hanged" herself, and then at the end of the film it seems that the previous Offred was going out at night with the commander as well and Serena found out.

I started to think that maybe they were hinting that the previous Offred was killed in one of those hangings in front of everyone, or am I way off base? Or did they think that she was with the rebels and have her killed, or did they just send her to the colonies? (I haven't read the book yet, so sorry if this is really obvious in the book).

[–] dontdropthebanana 15 years ago

I haven't read the book either, but what I got from the scene was she was hung in a similar "ceremony". Really really gross, letting the handmaidens at that man... -shudders-

I woke with wings from lucid dreams

[–] betomi 15 years ago

I just read the book for my AP eng summer reading...and in the book, the previous offred hangs herself in her room and that's why they take out the chandelier

[–] heyteegs 14 years ago

I didn't read the book but did they take out a chandelier in the movie? If so, I missed that.

At first, I thought she must've hung herself but then, after the doctor scene and the public hanging, I assumed the doctor had offered her the same solution as Kate, she agreed and everyone found out.

http://3linesabout.blogspot.com/2010/04/handmaids-tale-1990.html

[–] AngelWithWaxWings 14 years ago

Chendelier? It's been a while since I read the book but I thought she hung herself from a hook in a closet...or maybe that was just Offred thinking that's how she could hang herself. No in the movie they didn't explain it.

~Monica

Mark Hoffman doesn't see dead people. He makes dead people!

[–] MNRebecca (762) 2 months ago

Because she hung herself on the hook, they took out everything that could be used for hanging.

[–] brunhilda2013 8 years ago

My guess was the commander took advantage of her, just like he did to Kate and when Serena Joy found out, Offted #1 hanged herself to avoid the ordeal of a public execution.