PlotOverview

AbouttheAuthor

AdystopiannovelwhereTheRepublicofGilead
replacestheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Inthestory,
womenarestrippedfromtheirrightsandthosewho
areabletobearchildrenaregatheredandcalled
Handmaidstobeusedbyelitecouplesthatare
unabletoconceivetheirownchildren.These
womenarethengivenanameaccordingtowho
theyareassignedto.Takeforexamplethemain
characterandthenarratorOffred,sheisassigned
toamannamedFredandthenthewordofis
addedtothebeginning.OffredisaHandmaid
herselfandtellsaboutherdailylifeasaHandmaid.
BeforeGileadwacreated,Offrediscaughttryingto
fleethecountrywithherhusbandLukeandher
daughter.However,theirrelationshipisinvalid
becauseLukehadanaffairwithOffredbefore
divorcinghispreviouswifeandmarryingOffred.
Thefamilyisthenseparated,nevertoseeeach
otheragain,asOffredistakentotheRedCenter.In
theRedCenter,womenarebrainwashedandtold
thattheircurrentsituationisgoodandbeneficial.
AfterbeingattheRedCenter,Offredisthen
assignedtoacommandernamedFredandhiswife
whoisnamedSerenaJoy.Whenfirstbeing
introducedtoOffred,Serenaisdispleasedwith
havinganotherwomanbeinginvolvedwithher
husband.Whileresidingwiththecouple,Offredand
theCommanderbondtogetherinsecretandthe
CommanderallowsOffredtoplayScrabblewith
himeventhoughitisillegalforwomentoread.
AfterseveralsessionswiththeCommander,
SerenanoticesthatOffredisnotgettingpregnant,
soshearrangedforOffredtohavesexwiththeir
gardener/chauffeur,Nick.Aftertheirfirstpersonal
encounter,OffredgrowsfondofNickandcontinues
tomeethimillegallyregardlessofthe
consequences.However,thisdistractsOffredfrom
hertasktogatherinformationontheCommander
forMayday,anundergroundorganizationthat
wantstooverthrowGilead.Oneday,ablackvan
drivesuptothehouseandasksforOffred.Thisvan

MargaretAtwoodwasborninOttawain1939but
wasraisedinOntario,Quebec,andToronto.She
obtainedherundergraduatedegreeatthe
UniversityofToronto.Sheiscurrentlypartnered
withGraemeGibson.GibsonandAtwoodbothlive
togetherinToronto.Shehasreceivedmanyawards
andisalsorecognisedforvariousreasons.Atwood
hasproducedover50worksofnovels,poetry,and
theatre.

HistoricalContext
ReplacingtheUnitedStatesofAmerica,Gileadwas
originallycreatedtosolvetheproblemofhaving
dangerouslylowreproductionratesbyrestricting
womenfrombeingindependent,reading,writing,
andtakingawaytheirrighttoownproperty.Gilead
usedwomenwhowereabletoreproducetoassign
themelitecouplewhoareunabletobeartheirown
children.TheEyeswasalsocreatedwhichisa
secretpoliceforcethatwatcheseverypublic
movementthatwomenmake.Asanattemptto
brainwashthewomenaffected,Gileadgivesthe
impressionthattheyaresolelybasedontheBible
byusingreligioustermsinpolitics.Thisidea
createdatheocracy,agovernmentinwhichthereis
noseparationbetweenreligionandstate.

NovelNotes

TheHandmaids
Tale

MargaretAtwood

KaylaDiaz

11016

EssentialQuotes

Youcantmakeanomelettewithoutbreaking
eggs(Atwood211).

Iusetothinkofmybodyasaninstrument,of
pleasure,orameansoftransportation,oran
implementfortheaccomplishmentofmywill...Now
theflesharrangeditselfdifferently.Imacloud,
congealedaroundacentralobject,theshapeofa
pear,whichishardandmorerealthanIamand
glowsredwithinitstranslucentwrapping(Atwood
84).

AddWorkCitedHere:
SparkNotesEditors.SparkNoteonThe
HandmaidsTale.SparkNotes.com.SparkNotes
LLC.2003.Web.2Jan.2016.

couldeithertakehertosalvationorprisonforthisis
arrangedbyNick.Inthestory,itisnotmentioned
whetherNickisapartofMaydayortheEyes,a
secretpoliceforce.

CharacterAnalysis

Themes

Offred
Sheisoftenopinionatingofthe
injusticeofthegovernment,
however,shedoesnotexpress
thesethoughtsaloud.Sheeffects
theCommander,Fred,withhisidea
tobondwithOffredevenassheis
secretlygatheringinformationonhim
forMayday.Sheisrequiredtowear
along,reddressthatcoversher
entirebodyexceptfortheheadasa
Handmaid.Accordingtothe
flashbacks,beforeGilead,shewasa
motherandwifewhomarriedLuke
whodivorcedhisexwifetoremarry.
Commander/Fred
ACommanderwhowasinvolvedin
thecreationofGilead.Fredisalso
thecommanderthatOffredis
assignedtobearhischildren.
However,aftercountlessattempts
witheitherhiswife,Serena,or
Offredheisunabletoconceivehis
ownchild.Althoughhisvisitswith
Offredseemselflessandreassuring
forhischaracter,theycanbe
interpretedasselfishasthesevisits
putOffredinultimatedanger.
SerenaJoy
TheCommanderswifewhoisas
welldispleasedwiththegovernment
becauseitinvolvesotherwomen
withherhusbandinawaythatshe
doesnotapproveof.Duetothis
displeasement,shetakesheranger
outonOffredsincesheisawoman
thatisallowedtobeintimatewithher
husband.Sheisunsympatheticand
selfishassheonlyhelpsOffredfor
herowngainandhidesthefactthat
sheknowsofOffredsfamilys
whereabouts.

WomensBodiesasPoliticalInstruments
theuseofwomenonpolitics
highlightsthecapabilityofhumanity
tofailasawholesincetheuseof
womentocreateagovernmentthat
wouldonlybenefitmenrepresents
themaliciousideaoftheinhumane.
Inthisgovernment,womenwho
thoughtoftheirbodyasatemple
nowlabeltheirownselvesasaset
ofovariesanduterusthatispassed
aroundforthegainofotherfamilies.
LanguageasaToolofPower
inagovernmentwherewomenare
oppressedandseenlessthan,the
mereactionofexposurebywordcan
fatalizethefutureofonewhoisseen
asathreatinthegovernmentseyes.
Thisgovernmentalsocreatesthe
useoftitlestolabelalargegroupof
peopletolimittheideasofthose
whocanturntheperfect
governmentupsidedown
Complacency
inaworldofmen,womenare
restrictedtotheirownthoughtsand
tears,however,inasocietywhere
theyarerestrainedandheldhostage
legally,iftheyaregainingsomesort
ofcompensationtheywillcontinueto
liveinacorruptedcountry.For
example,Offredsrelationshipwith
NickallowsOffredtofeelhumaneas
shereconnectswithemotionsshe
hasntfeltsincebeforeGilead.

MotifsandSymbols

RapeandSexualViolence
Gileadtellswomenthatbyrestricting
themfrombeingindependentthey
arebeingprotectedfromviolenceas
thepenaltyforrapeismuchgreater
thaninafreecountry.Althoughthis
ideaisrepresentedbyGilead,there
arestillclubssuchasJezebelsthat
allowCommanderstohavesexwith
prostitutes
ReligiousTermsUsedforPolitics
Gileadalsotitleseachgroupof
peopleandevenpublicobjectswith
termsusedintheBible,givingthe
ideathatGileadwascreatedbased
solelyontheBible.Thisgovernment
corruptsitspreviousideaof
separatingreligionandpoliticsby
doingthesethings
HarvardUniversity
usedbytheEyes,asecretpolice
force,Harvardsbuildingsareused
asplacestoholdmassexecutions
anddetentioncentersasthebodies
ofthosewhowereexecutedhand
fromthewallsofeachbuildingthat
wasonceaneducationcenter
TheHandmaidsRedHabits
havingadoublemeaning,thelong
reddressesthatHandmaidsare
obligatedtoweareverydayoriginally
representedthecolorofawomans
menstrualcycleandchildbirth.
However,asthegovernment
progressed,thewivesofthe
CommanderslabelHandmaidsto
bedoersofsinastheyhavesexwith
marriedmen,thusactingadultery
andmakingtheHandmaidsRed
Habitsarepresentationofsin