A Handmaid’s Tale Notes:
Key Revision points:
Democracy in the USA has been brutally overthrown and replaced by the totalitarian Republic Of Gilead.
Atwood has made it clear nothing in this novel is made up- everything she has included has happened somewhere before.
The novel is inspired by the election of Ronald Reagan and the push-back against the ideals of Second Wave Feminism from the 70s, and a return to Puritanical religious fundamentalism.
The novel is partly a speculative fiction- a depiction of a possible future. The future we have now depends on who we vote for now. Never take peace and stability for granted.
Theocratic dystopia- society and its people are impacted on because of the blurring of religion and government. It’s very dangerous for politicians to say they are ‘following God’s Will’ with the laws they have.
The woman’s red cloaks and white wings have become an enduring political symbol. In essence these clothes make them extremely recognisable and it distinguishes them from anyone else. Their “white wings” can be seen as almost a form of horse blinders implying they have no choice but to look forward (they have no choice but to conform to Gilead’s dystopian world.
The “night chapters” allow for Offred’s imagination and inner- voice to wander, and there is a strong contrast between past and present through the novel.
The red centre is a twisted depiction of an educational establishment where the women are radicalised into becoming handmaids.
The scrabble game can be seen as a scene of dissent, rebellion, as well as freedom that language offers. It can also be seen as a sign of the relationship between the Commander and Offred.
Women’s freedom and identities are eroded e.g. their names are change to become the possession of a male e.g. Offred. They are also sacked from their jobs meaning they have no means to make their own money; they cannot speak openly.
“The wall” is a symbol of the way Gilead punishes those who do not conform to its ideals or show resistance. As in other political and social protests texts, it’s a way that officials can seek to publicly “educate” the population, showing them the consequence of dissent.
Jezebels acts as a setting to show the hypocrisy of the elite- a brothel visited by commanders despite this being the kind of behaviour Gilead is designed to eradicate.
Commander’s rape the Handmaid’s assigned to conceive children for the couple; inspired by Nicolae Causescu’s dictatorship of Romania: as a strong man, he wanted to turn Romania into a great world power and imposed harsh anti-abortion laws and banned contraception and abortion in 1966. Resulted in a huge rise in children being cared in orphanages, women being killed in childbirth and the expectation that each women is to have at least 4 children.
Offred’s inner monologue and stream of consciousness foregrounds her own mental resistance- no one can silence or control her thoughts about the past.
Historical notes (epilogue) takes place in June 2195 (the future), two centuries after the Gileadean takeover. Professor Wade calls the 30 unnumbered tapes ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ found in an army footlocker in Maine.
The fact that professor Pieixoto begins with a joke shows how history can often glaze over the very real realities of a particular time.
The Historical Notes could be unsatisfying as readers may feel that Offred should have more sympathy. This could have been done deliberately to show how history can come with a sense of distancing- Do we have difficulty empathising with the past? Leaves the reader wondering did Offred escape to Canada and then England?
Manipulation of religious texts to legitimise an extremist agenda.
History as cyclical- the future is not one straight line but societies can go back to something they were before.
“Nolite te bastardes carborundrum” (don’t let the bastards grind you down) is a symbol of rebellion and reinforced the power of language.
The ending of the novel remains ambiguous with a sense of unknown. “I step up into the darkness within; or else the light”
Novel shows how religion can be used to weaponise and punish rather than to act as a comfort; a commentary on how humans have always selectively engaged with the bible to suit their own beliefs.
The uncomfortable scene between the doctor and Offred shows the contrast between the tantalising appeal of rule breaking in an overly regulated society, but also the role of sex as a violating force.
The novel shows how people are more likely to rebel in a more regulated and dogmatic society- no matter what the rules, there will always be people prepared to break the rules e.g. The underground Femaleroad, and the Mayday’s resistance Plus Offred’s interactions with Nick.