Final answer:
Offred's need to steal butter in 'The Handmaid's Tale' represents a small act of resistance and self-care, symbolizing her desire for personal autonomy within an oppressive regime.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significance of Offred's need to steal butter in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale goes beyond mere sustenance; it symbolizes a small act of rebellion against the oppressive regime of Gilead. In the rigidly controlled society depicted in the novel, personal agency is stripped away, and every aspect of life, especially related to women, is monitored and prescribed.
Therefore, Offred's act of taking butter not only serves a practical purpose in terms of using it as a form of moisturizer or nourishment, but it also represents her yearning for autonomy and a connection to her past self which has been largely erased by the totalitarian government.
Throughout literature, nourishment can symbolize comfort, care, and self-preservation. Offred's theft of butter is a form of self-care under dire conditions, and it highlights the human need for control over one's body and environment. The act becomes a quiet resistance to the otherwise total domination of her life, making it an important metaphorical gesture of autonomy and dignity for the character.