Moira is Offred’s long-time friend whom she met in college. She is feisty, spirited, and intelligent, and was a symbol of hope and freedom for Offred and the other Handmaids throughout the novel, with Offred describing Moira as “our fantasy.” Ever since pre-Gileadean times, she had always been very politically active, and a proud and outspoken lesbian and feminist. She kept Offred’s hopes and spirits up, an encouraged her to live outside her comfort zone. Despite being captured and tortured after one failed escape attempt from the Red Centre, Moira bravely tries a second time, this time successfully, demonstrating her determination and bold rebellion. Offred describes her metaphorically as “an elevator with open sides,” demonstrating her inability to be restrained, and like “lava beneath the crust of daily life,” emphasising the rebellious thoughts and actions that bubble inside her that she doesn’t try to suppress, symbolising the potential for society to overthrow Gilead.
