How does the role of Moira change throughout the Handmaid's Tale?

How does the Role of Moira change throughout the novel?

For most of the novel, we see Moira as a courageous and heroic character, especially in the eyes of Offred. But then as we progress through the novel, we see her character change dramatically, particularly towards the end. She is no longer the brave human being that Offred used to see her as and admire, but now a mere prostitute in a club as a result of punishment for attempted escape.

To begin with, Offred saw Moira as a source of comfort from her past. She was someone whom Offred could count on and rely on to get her out of trouble and maybe one day save her from the life she led in Gilead. Offred totally cherishes her friendship with Moira; she looks up to her and sees her as the woman she would love to become. Atwood has created a set of characters that are the complete opposite of one another in every way and although both of them have to deal with the same situations, they do so in very different ways. Moira...