Throughout the centuries humans have been growing and changing physically, mentally, and socially. However, there exists a part of human nature that, despite all the evolutionary events throughout history, has never seen change. Within each being there has always lived this inveterate and passionate longing; this inevitable hunger that one comes across with at every day of their life. Whether it exists for something fundamental or merely a whim, desire is an essential part of what it means to be human and cannot be suppressed. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood demonstrates how even under the most authoritative conditions the desires for valuable knowledge, affection, and freedom are abiding and cannot be regulated. Throughout the novel, Atwood shows how Offred desperately desires valuable knowledge that she, along with the other Handmaids, are being denied by the totalitarian regime of the Republic of Gilead. Right from the opening pages, the Handmaids’ longing for knowledge is evident as they try to secretly communicate with one another at the Rachel and Leah Centre, despite the fact that they run the high risk of getting caught. For example, Offred explains how “We learned to whisper almost without sound We learned to lip read, our heads flat on the beds, watching each other’s mouths. In this way we exchanged names” (Atwood, 4). Although the government tries to prohibit such contact between the Handmaids, they still find value in communicating and learning each other’s names even with the strict punishments in place. One evening while meeting with the Commander, Offred states that she no longer wants to have these secret meetings with him. After hearing this he asks what it is she would like, in order for her to stay, and Offred replies, “I would like to know Whatever there is to know What’s going on?” (217). Offred uses her one chance to get anything she wants to gain significant insight on the world she is living in