Serena is an interesting character, isn't she? She helped to set up Gilead, then realised too late that doing down women had done her down too. She also realised too late that whilst being the more intelligent and astute one in her marriage worked for her when it was acceptable for women to be those things, as soon as it wasn't she was scuppered.
After Gilead and its strictures was established she tried to make the best of it for herself, and used what powers she had to do it. It's a human response, but she used inhuman ways to achieve her aims. She does sometimes show her 'human' side (I'm trying to think of an example, though, and can't ?), so the impression I get is that in different circumstances she'd have been a different character.
That's true of all of us, I suppose - how we act depends on the circumstances. I hope I would never behave as Serena does, but it's one of those things we'll never know unless we are tested, I guess. I'm not sure what I think she deserves.
