Joseph Trigueros

Warner

AP Lit & Comp P4

31 August 2019

The Handmaid’s Tale

Margaret Atwood
1986

1. Title
The title of the novel is The Handmaid’s Tale. It relates to the novel because the story is
told from the perspective of a handmaid. The author used this as the title instead of
something else because it is quite literally a tale, recalling past memories and present
feelings.

2. Time-Period
The novel was written in the mid-eighties. During this time, Berlin was still enclosed by
the Berlin Wall and communism was a threat to democratic nations. The novelist might
have also been inspired by pro-abortion rights for women which was going on at the time
in the US.

3. Purpose
The author’s purpose in this novel, is to value the individual more than the society. In
Chapter 26, Offred states, “To him I’m no merely a usable body. To him I’m not just a
boat with no cargo, a chalice with no wine in it, an oven– to be crude – minus the bun.
To him I am not merely empty” (pg. 163). Atwood is describing the character as having
more value than the society states that she does. She is not only a womb, used for
reproduction, instead she values herself and recognizes it.

4. Protagonist
The protagonist of the story, Offred is a round character. In the time before Gilead, she
was independent and complacent. Even as the country starts to become overrun by
martial law, she misses the signs. Now, in Gilead, Offred shapes into a woman who is
somewhat complacent for fear of risking her life, but she also indulges in little acts of
rebellion that keep her sane.

5. Antagonist
The main antagonist in this novel is the Republic of Gilead. Ranking officials of Gilead
have forced women to be subject to their roles and to men. Women such as Offred,
Handmaids, are used for reproductive purposes, their goals in Gilead being forced to
have Commanders children.

6. Universal Truth
The manipulation of power can change a society's ideas and value of worth but not an
individuals.
7. Symbol
An important symbol is the red habit of the Handmaids. The color red symbolizes the
menstrual cycle of women, as they are only used for their bodies. Their sole purpose in
Gilead is to be instruments, their wombs are highly valued, however they themselves are
useless. The color also symbolizes sin because even though they are being raped by
married men, condoned by the state, it is still committing adultery. Because the novel
uses biblical references heavily, this sin of adultery could be a reference to Mary
Magdalene. The author uses their dresses as one of the ways they are identified. The
habits are recognizable and as valuable resources in Gilead, they need to be visible, the
color red popping out in a country with such lack of color.

8. Imagery
Atwood uses lots of visual imagery in the novel. Many of Offred's memories are
descriptive visually. The reader can feel the ambiance of where she is just based on her
descriptions. In the present, Offred can offer more image because she is present and in
the moment.

9. Tone
Dispensable; “I used to think of myself as an instrument, of pleasure…There were limits,,
but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with me. No the flesh arranges
itself differently… It transits, pauses, continues on and passes out of sight, and I see
despair coming towards me like famine” (73-74)Brusque; “I could burn the house down.
Such a fine thought, it makes me shiver. An escape, quick and narrow” (209).Nostalgic;
“Such freedom now seems almost weightless” (24)

10. Point of View

The point of view is first person. Offred, the main character, tells her point of view
subjectively and personally. Her tone is always in line with her character and she tells
the novel based on her opinion. Near the end of the story, she describes that she is
telling the story in a way that makes it more presentable to the reader, which should
make her unreliable but that this point of the novel, she has already developed trust with
the reader.

11. Diction
Atwood uses euphemisms to describe inappropriate items, even though the story is
about rape. In the section entitled Household Offred states “To have them putting him
on, trying him on, trying him out, while he himself puts them on, like a sock over a foot,
onto the stub of himself, his extra, sensitive thumb, his tentacle, his delicate, stalked
slug’s eye, which extrudes, expands, winces, and shrivels back into himself when
wrongly touched, grows big again, bulging a little at the tip, traveling forward as if along a
leaf, into them, avid for vision” (88). Atwood is definitely describing the Commander’s
penis yet isn’t ever explicit about it. She uses lighter language that helps the reader
understand exactly what he is talking about without having to outright tell you. The
author also give Offred a meditative word choice. In Chapter 44 Offred expresses her
contemplative tone by saying “Things are back to normal. How can I call this normal?”
(282). Offred often stop her sentences to contemplate deep thought. By giving Offred a
tone like this, the reader can better understand how she feels and what her situation
must be like.

12. Syntax
 Atwood uses periodic and simple sentences in the novel to help understand Offred
thoughts. For example, she states “I sit in my room, at my window, waiting” (291). By
using this periodic structure, Atwood give Offred that meditative tone. Another example
shows this by stating, “What I need is perspective. The illusion of depth, created by a
frame, the arrangement of shapes on a flat surface” (143). The pacing of Offred
sentence gives more depth to her thoughts. The reader can understand her whole
though process. An example of a simple sentence says “A story is like a letter. Dear you,
I’ll say” (40). Another states “Night fall. Or has fallen” (191). The use of simple sentences
give the appropriate pauses in Offred’s thoughts.

13. Literary Device

Offred often uses similes to describe things. For example, she says “His skin is pale and
looks unwholesomely tender, like the skin under a scab” (21). In this way, the reader can
understand better what she is describing. Another example states “Then we had irises,
rising beautiful and cool on their tall stalks, like blown glass, like pastel water
momentarily frozen in the splash” (153). Through this simile, Offred offers a great deal of
imagery.

14. Recommendation
Ultimately, the read was rather enjoyable even if it was for a project. The novel offered
lots of insight into misogyny and feminism which made it hard to read at times. Although
the story deals in rape, I personally loved that when it came to the ceremonies, Offred
never explicitly talked about the act but what was around her. She focuses on the
imagery of the room and the details in the roof rather than what is happening. Another
reason this was a good book was the psychology of it. Offred often spends her nights in
her room in a contemplative time. Her thoughts are descriptive and scattered like a real
person. She’ll be talking about one thing and jump to a memory or a feeling before
coming back. And that makes her connectable.

15. AHA Moment

One of the main themes of the story was identity. After reading the book, and especially
the last chapter, you have a better sense of Offred as a character. She describes that
she is telling this narrative hoping that someone can hear her and tell their story as well.
After contemplating many different ways to kill herself, she finds none is better than the
other. The reader walks away from the story with an ambiguous knowledge of her story
without knowing what to do with it or what happens to her. By leaving the story open,
Atwood allows the reader to do what they want with the story. Taking your knowledge
and what you gain from the novel, you decide whether Offred lives or dies, whether she
got out of Gilead or she’s being taken to be killed.