The power within cannot be imprisoned. The power to forgive and accept is a personal power. (Should I introduce titles, authors)?
Acceptance is a significant power that tends to drive individuals to persevere. In the Handmaid’s Tale one day after the government fell, women were no longer able to legally work or hold property or money. Offred’s boss at the library seeming unbalanced fires her and all the other female employees. ‘’ I’m really sorry I have to let you all go, it’s the law.’’ This quote raises questions of self-preservation and blame. The boss acts like Offred does in her present life following the rules to save his life. But Gilead succeeded because of the selfishness and cowardice of human nature. The context of Gilead make women seen as worthless and Margaret Atwood’s Gilead has become an extreme fundamentalist group, removing all rights from women over night. Comparably in Kite Runner Amir idles as Hassan is raped by a bully and realizes his betrayal for his lack of action. He then attempts to provoke Hassan by relentlessly throwing pomegranates at him to have him retaliate so Amir feels better about himself, Amir screams ‘’Hit me back! You are such a coward!’’ Hassan does not fight back but instead crushes a pomegranate on his on forehead and replies ‘’are you satisfied?’’ Hassan does not and will not inflict harm on Amir despite his blunt bullying, he is resilient to Amir’s attempts to provoke him and accepts he cannot mend the friendship any longer. Hassan accepts his position as Hasara, the servants of the house and the race seen as inferior therefor he does not fight Amir. (I NEED A LINK)
The power to forgive is not one to be shun and can heavily influence an individual’s life. The night the Commander invites Offred over, she contemplates about how all her memories are ‘’reconstructions’’. She believes it’s impossible to retell anything perfectly and her biggest concern isn’t who can control who but who can do terrible things to others and still be forgiven for it. ‘’Maybe none of this is about control, maybe it isn’t about whom can own whom… maybe it’s about who can do what to whom and be forgiven to it. ‘’ Offred links memory with forgiveness and explains to the audience when you can’t remember the horrible specifics, you’re more likely to forgive and when you forgive atrocities, you allow others to