The Handmaids Tale

Margaret Atwood

Journal Entry Chapters 1-6

Respond to any eight of the following topics (at least one from each chapter). Write at
least FIVE pages.
Chapter One
1. A palimpsest is a medieval parchment that scribes attempted to scrape clean and
use again, though they were unable to obliterate all traces of the original. Why is
the analogy of a palimpsest appropriate? How does the new republic of Gilead's
social order often resemble a palimpsest?
The analogy of a palimpsest is appropriate as Gilead has tried to scrape clean the
previous social order, although pockets of resistance still remain. This makes the
comparison between the order of Gilead being the new palimpsest after scraping and the
old order being the palimpsest before scraping.
2. What is the lifestyle of the handmaids during the period of their training?
They are locked inside an old military base and heavily guarded by guards called
angles. They are not allowed to speak to each other and they are watched by other
females guards.
Chapter Two
1. Sketch a picture (or pictures) of the setting described in this chapter (this may be
sketched on blank paper and attached neatly to your journal). Include as much
detail as possible.
2. Find and discuss evidence of social control. How tightly controlled is the
narrator? Who controls whom? Why?
Evidence of social control is presented as women are assigned a single room without any
contact with the outside world. The window in the room does not open fully to prevent
escape attempts. The door does not lock or even shut properly to prevent them from
locking themselves in to commit suicide or starve to death.
3. Identify the characters introduced in the first two chapters. Create a table in which
you list as many characteristics as you can of three characters and cite words,
phrases or lines from the text that show these
characteristics.
4. Find a sensory image for each of the senses:
sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Cite the
example and explain what its effect on you the
reader is.
Chapter Three

1. What do flowers symbolize to the narrator? Discuss at least three examples from
the first three chapters.
Flowers are indeed very important to the author as they symbolize the blooming of a new
era. An example is from the first chapter as the author describes Offreds room and there
are flowers there, signifying that she has a key role in the revolution or resistance. The
second time is at the Commanders wifes garden where she notices the flowers there.
2. Identify the various social groups mentioned: explain the place of each in society.
Poul Ruders's The Handmaid's Tale at the English National Opera: Stephanie Marshall as Offred

Chapter Four
1. What is the effect of the similes in the first paragraph?
The similes compare the environment she is currently in. The gravel path is shown to be
extremely straight like a hair parting. The grass is damp, and the worms lying there are
fragile and pink, like lips. The comparison between dead worms and lip could refer to
how she has lost her right to speech.
2. Why does Offred frequently dwell on the multiple meanings of words. Answer
with reference to pages 17-18 regarding Nick.
3. The truth is that she is my spy, as I am hers. (p.19) What does this mean? Does
this remind you of any other societies of which you have heard or about which
you have studied?
4. What does Rita mean by a bad death? What do you think of this? Is there such a
thing as a good death and a bad death? Explain with examples.
A bad death is essentially a tragedy or something that could have been prevented. The
difference between bad death and a good death is when the persons death cannot be
prevented or when the person is willing to die (e.g. euthanasia). A bad death is when the
death can be prevented, but happens anyway, it is essentially a tragedy.
5. What do the proper names mentioned in this chapter reveal about society in
Gilead? Where do the names come from?
6. What is the function of the black-painted vans? (cf pp.178-179)
7. What power does Offred have over men, powerless as she is? How traditional is
this kind of power? Has the elimination of pornography stopped women from
being regarded as sex objects?
Chapter Five
1. What do the first two paragraphs suggest about the similarities between Gilead
and the United States of America?
The similarities are that the houses in Gilead are the same as they are modeled after
houses in old society. The streets also resemble those of old society and have not been
changed since then.

2. Start and keep a map of the world described by the text, showing places
mentioned and their significance in the story> Also, if the place is another
country, note its relationship with Gilead (ally, enemy, trading partner etc.)
3. What is Gilead's attitude toward higher education?
4. Why is it ominous that the number of widows has diminished?
5. Examine the passage that begins "Women were not protected then." This is the
heart of the ideology that underlies the founding of Gilead. What is its essential
rationale? Analyze the narrator's attitude toward the freedoms of which she
speaks.
6. Analyze the play on words in "Habits are hard to break." Why is dress important
in Gilead and other societies?
7. How are the Japanese women different from the women of Gilead? Is Atwood
idealizing them? What do you think the point of the contrast is?
Chapter 6
1. What do the connotations of the
word gasps tell us? Who is the
we Offred is talking about?
2. What do the various uses of the
football stadium tell us about
Gilead society? Compare its use
to other societies: e.g. China,
ancient Rome.
The football stadium hosts football
games and holds mens salvagings. It is
like the roman coliseum as they both
hosts some games and also hold some
other thing (in the coliseum it was
slaves).
3. What is the function of the Wall?
Why have the doctors been
executed? What is significant
about the shift to the present
tense in this passage, "Luke
wasn't a doctor. Isn't"?
4. Find different connotations of the
colour red in the first six chapters. Discuss examples of at least three different
references to red objects. Why does the colour red pose a problem for Offred?
Examine the various connotations of each red thing mentioned.
Stephanie Marshall in The Handmaid's Tale,
staged by the English National Opera