The handmaids tale (copy)

when written, published, by who

written in western berlin in the early 1980’s, published 1985 by Margaret atwood

what type of novel does Margaret argue this to be and significance

Speculative fiction; believes these events could actually occur

setting

set in cambridge massachusetts under dystopian government of the republic of gilead who has replaced the US

• state previous ruled by theocratic puritans in the american colonial period

theocratic puritans

theocracy of gilead influenced by the 17th centuary puritans- rigid inhumaine theocracy

one reason why atwood may have released this novel

in response to the modern political scene in america.

• rise of the republicans eg. ronald reagan president throughout the 1980’s campaigned against abortion, attempted to weaken sexual harassment allegations

• reinforced by christian leaders urging the party to again diminish abortion rights + defeat the equal rights amendments

therefore used this novel to highlight how religion can be used as an excuse to reduce womens rights

modern day protests

examples of protests across the world for women, ongoing issue

• ireland in campaigning against abortion dressed up as handmaids objecting the government decisions over autonomy over there body in regards to abortion

structrual features of the handmaids tale

fractured chronology:fosters sense of disorientation allowing reader to understand complexities of her world. also for her to maintain sense of self

1st person narritive: allows for an intimate and personal perspective allowing readers to emphasise with offred

background of the novel

totalitarian regime where women are divided into different classes based on firtility: offred= handmaid, assigned to bear children for the ruling class

what is the ‘ceremony’

every month offred must undergo ritualised sex with the commander while serena sits behind her holding her hands

the secret police

the eyes

different settings

commanders house:

Racheal and Lee Centre(red centre);

Jezebels:

different settings meanings: Commanders house

microcosm of power dynamics in gilead and patriarchy

different settings meanings: Racheal and Lee centre(Red)

place of indocterination and imprisonment into gileads ideologies in prep for becoming handmaids but also resistance eg. first act at end of chapter one with the learning of eachothers names

different settings meanings: jezebels

brothel commander takes offred too

demonstrates power dynamic between men and women. how men can indulge in forbidden activites and ignore their own rules and remian in power yet women are forced to adhere to societal norms

• In christian lore, jezebel mislead saints of god into sexual immortality through manipulation and seduction

• represents the hypocrisy and corruption within the regime

different settings meanings: the wall

represents the exreme meausres thatan oppressive regime may take to maintain control and instill fear

• wall= physical reminder of the consequences of disobediance

importance of red

constantly reminded in her name, red centre, outfit,

• represents handmaids role in procreation and their firtility

• reminder of assigned societal roles but also alludes to the danger and violence of this regime

Offred

protagonist, story narrated entirely from her view

• resembles countless women who have been subjected to oppressive regimes over histroy, an ordinary women placed in an extrodinary sitaution

• firstly submits to role in regime then subverts by finding small ways to resist eg. forming connections, secret acts of rebellion

• her journey reflects on the universal desire of freedom

• intelligent

red centre quote

“We learned to lip-read, our heads flat on the beds, turned sideways, watching each other’s mouths. In this way we exchanged names from bed to bed: “Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June.”

mantra of resilience + resistance

Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. Don't let the bastards grind you down.

Offred quote after the first ceromony

I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued in ways that I am not. I repeat my former name; remind myself of what I once could do, how others saw me. I want to steal something.

feels powerless and violated

• expresses profound longing for physical and emotional inimiacy parallled with the desire for recognition as a person

• employs repetition to highlight intensity of these desires

• repeating old name privately resiting gileads control

significance of her name

My name isnt offred, I have a name which nobody uses now because it is forbidden.

• literally means of-fred symbolises she is not her opwn person but belongs to someone else. red also alludes to the colour of her dress further diminishing her own sense of self

• pun on the word offered symbolises she is a sacrifice

what is the commander a symbol of

power

kind of resembles Raegen both straight white christian men with immense power

• villians often portrayed in literature as dirty and ugly here opposite here he is deceptively unassuming highlights how villians can be respected members of society

• potentially commenting on how power is concentrated in the hands of white old men

• also hypocritical

quote to show commander as deceptively unassuming

refers to him as a ‘semi retired man ‘silver hair’ ‘shoemaker in an old fairy tell’ which illustrates him to be harmless even

at points atwood creates a sense of sympathy w/ his unhapiness and need for company eg. he says sadly he wanted her to kiss him as if she meant it makes him seem as a vicitim of gileads scheme at times.

This juxtaposes his creation of this society which atwood may have done to cause the reader to realise that those who are responsible for the gravest injustices are often not ‘monsters’.

quote to show commander as hypocritical

his constant participation in breaking the rules for his own benefit however due to his power can break the rules he set with no reprecussions eg. trip to jezebels conveys his moral blindness, putting offred at risk for his own flaunting of her.

reinforced how many of his transgressions rely on women eg. offred for interlectual conversation yet continues to treat her as lesser than him

quote to show the commanders power

he pulls down one of my straps, slides his other hand in among the feathers, but it is no good, I lie there like a dead bird.

lack of angency and control handmaids have

imagry of birds are often a symbol of freedom, dead infers she cannot escape or fly away, bird acts as a metaphor for offreds feelings of imprissonment.

verb pulls: forceful nature of his actions, his domination feathers add to this fragiliity and vunrability

aunt lydia

older women who indoctrinates handmaids

aunt suggests protection, family care which is ironic as the aunts are some of the fiercest supporters of the regime and commit atrocious acts of violence . misogonistic beliefs

exists in both offreds memories and present

character foil of moira , throughout the book often appear together highlighting how althoguh offred has been indocterinated through aunt lydia can still find a way to resist through memories of moira.

quote for indocterination.

Janine talks about how she was ‘gang raped at fourteen and had an abortion ‘ (chap 13) after confessing the handmaids tell janine it was her fault, example of the indoctrination

repeating one of the fundalmental misogenistic arguments; partiarchal idea that men are never held accountable for their actions and women are to blame

aunt lydia quote

‘Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what your used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now but after a time it will.’

• reflection of the indocterination and manipulation tactics used by the regime, encourages the handmaids to become complacent. how opression and gender roles can be normalised

• ordinary repetition emphasises aunt lydias attempt to redfine the perception of normal

moira

symbol of hope and resistance

outspoken, rebellious

tries to escape, fails and is tortured, tries again, meet again at jezebels.

offred imagines howmoira escapes by envisioning a conversation between janine and aunt lydia

• idolises her highlights how relentless opression can break those even with the strongest will

moira+ aunt lydia

aunt lydia character foil

appear closely together while offred has been indoctrinated by aunt lydia, still finds a way to resit through memories of moira

represents offreds internal conflict (submit to patriarchy to stay alive or stay true to herself under the threat of voilence)

• threat that women face regularily as when women reject notions of patriarcy often met with social ostracisation+ voilence

nick

serena joy