1984 and The Handmaid's Tale: Lives of Dystopia Can Be Changed Dystopia can be defined as a place of utter wretchedness. This definition is a perfect description of the lives of Winston Smith in 1984 and Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale. Both characters live lives that would not even be thought of as an acceptable way of life today. These two books were written as visions of the future which, now in the present, could not be further from reality. Winston and Offred make attempts to change their lives by rebelling against authority and keeping to themselves and have as little to do with others as possible. Both chara