Character Motivation Through Control-Value Theory

Prompt: In your blog posting for this week, explain the relationship among your character's perceptions of control and values, and specific emotions and motivations. In particular, discuss at least two different time frames, such as perceptions of control and value in the past, present, and/or future and how those relate to your character's motivation and emotions in different aspects of time.

Within the Handmaid’s Tale series, June Osborne’s perception of control varies drastically. In the beginning she believes that sheer determination fueled by motherly anger will allow her to achieve her goal. When she later realizes the complexity of achieving her goal of rescuing her daughter and escaping, her motivation spirals. When she accepts how little control she has, she goes through a period of despair and seems hopeless for a while. It is while at this low place that her value begins to be placed on a different objective, rescue those around her and infiltrate the corrupt government, attacking the problem at the base. Her emotions have shifted from sadness and anger, to determination and dedication to a bigger cause. The shift in control and value completely altered June’s goals to those that she saw as achievable with the scope of control she had left. The secondary appraisal of her situation allowed her to pull herself out of that dark place and realign her motivation and emotions with an attainable goal.