Offred was filled with sorrow and longed to know if her daughter was still alive. As Offred lied in the bath, “lapped by the water,” (L 1) the symbolism of water was shown. Water symbolizes purification and redemption and it is also associated with fertility and growth. Water is also the symbol of birth as the water that surrounds the baby. This was ironic because while she was lying in the water, Offred had thoughts about her little girl. The bath water was to purify Offred and make she fertile so that she may fulfill her duty as a handmaid. This caused sorrow in Offred’s heart because she was unhappy with her life, she wanted things to go back to how they should be or at least how they used to be. Offred believed that her daughter did not die when she was taken away and she hoped that the girl was still alive (L 2-3). Offred made herself be positive and think that her little girl was still alive somewhere out in the world but it was hard to think about the good, when everything was full of sorrow ness. Offred longed to see her baby girl and her body was filled with sorrow knowing that she would probably never see her daughter again. Offred questioned her importance to her daughter by asking if the girl still remembered her and if her daughter pictured her in her mind (L 4-5). This rhetorical question is important in depicting Offred’s attitude because even though Offred knew that no one would answer this question, she felt that the burden needed to be lifted off of her and hopefully free her of some sorrow. Offred knew that almost everyday she thought about her daughter but it troubled her when she wondered if her daughter thought about her. Offred’s sorrow was even stronger at this point because she felt that she had lost a major part in her life by losing her daughter. Offred was questioning her own importance in the little girl’s life and since she did not receive any answers, sorrow ness filled her heart. Offred believed that who ever took her daughter away must have told the girl that Offred had died because that is what kind of people they were (L 6-7). Thinking of this really upset Offred because she worried that her daughter had forgotten about her because the girl believed that Offred was dead. This also upset Offred because she felt that if her daughter was still alive that she might come looking for her. Offred believed that her daughter had been told this for two reasons. One was that she figured that the crooked people who ran society would be capable of telling such lies and also she thought that if her daughter knew that Offred was still alive that she would have found her by now. Thinking about this made Offred very sad because she longed to see her daughter again. Offred criticized the people who captured her daughter by saying that, “they would say it would be easier for her to adjust.” (L 7-8) Offred felt that such lies had been told to her daughter in order to take control of her easier and free her mind from the life that she had lived before. This upset Offred because she wanted to find her daughter and show her that she was still alive. Offred went own to think about how much time had been lost since she had last seen her daughter. Offred knew that her daughter was about eight years old now and how time has been filled with so many other things but Offred knew how many years had passed (L 9-10). Even though handmaids were not allowed to have calendars, Offred kept track of time, especially of things that were of importance to her. Her daughter was of great importance to her and Offred knew the age of the girl now. This showed how sad and full of sorrow Offred was and how she wanted to see her daughter again if she had kept track of time. Offred felt it had been time lost but she still knew how much time had passed. Offred went on to try and free herself of the sorrow by saying that “it was easier to think of her as dead,” (L 10-11). Even though Offred loved her daughter dearly, she figured it would be easier to picture her daughter happy in heaven and not have to deal with the situation that the world was in at the present time. This way Offred would not have had to “hope or bash her head against a wall,” (L 11-13). Offred spent a lot of her time worrying about where her daughter was and how she was. If Offred knew that her daughter was dead, then these worries would not take place in her mind. Offred’s attitude then shifted to depression as she snapped back into reality as Cora yelled at her to hurry up and take her bath (L 15-16). Offred washed herself well and scrubbed off the dead skin. She wanted herself to be totally clean and germless like the surface of the moon (L 17-21). Offred felt as if she was not clean that she was not healthy that she was not happy. Offred was depressed the majority of the time because she wanted her life to be like it used to be, when she was with her family and happy. The aids that Offred used to clean herself were referred to as “puritan aids” (L 19). This was ironic because the setting of the story is sometime in the present and for Offred to be using to be using puritan type aids would be depressing especially if she was accustomed to using my modern type aids. This depressed Offred because she missed everything from her old life and she longed for it. The people in charge of Gilead did not let the handmaids bathe often because they feel like it is better way and bathing too often would “interfere” (L 23). Water symbolizes fertility and a person would think that the Gilead society would want fertility and promote baths. Offred was depressed because this was another thing that she missed from the past. As Offred finished up her bath, she acknowledged a small tattoo on her ankle (L 24-25). The small tattoo of four digits and an eye was the marking of who she was and what her purpose was in life. Offred was depressed because she felt like her own identity had been stripped of her and that she no longer was herself. The handmaids were branded like cattle and used for their sole purpose to reproduce. Offred was depressed because of her thoughts about her daughter and her lifestyle. This tattoo guaranteed her place in life and that she was too important to be lost. Handmaids were considered very important in Gilead and Offred would be a handmaid until she was not longer fertile of she had been given her 3 chances. The passage closes with Offred comparing herself to a “natural resource.” To Gilead, handmaids were a major component of life and were almost as important as water or air. This is why the reference was made to Offred being a natural resource. The character’s attitude of sorrow and depression are shown through the diction, imagery, syntax, and other literary devices in this passage from The Handmaids Tale. Atwood used these elements to depict and stress the attitude.