background
1980s » hyper-conservatism prominent amongst the young
life focused around financial success, capitalism, consumerism
not a future projection of how the world may end up but rather an uncanny, sideways version of current society
eg patronym in offred, modern day surnames
novel’s events are all current, with different filters » “every single thing in the novel has happened”, margaret atwood
eg policing n scrutiny of women’s clothes
sumptuary laws