timeline

section

chapter

handmaid narrative

non-chronological narrative

I

Night

1

• first nights in the Red Centre

II

Shopping

2

• routines n position in Commander’s house including shopping

3

• Commander’s wife

• flashback to first meeting w Serena Joy

4

• sees Nick

• Ofglen - journey to shops

5

• shopping trip - meet pregnant Ofwarren n Japanese tourists

• remembers previous freedoms n trivial convos w Luke

6

• visit Wall n see dead bodies

III

Night

7

• alone, lying on bed, time for reflection

• importance of telling her story

remembers:

• moira @college

• mother as feminist activist

• loss of daughter

IV

Waiting Room

8

• Ofglen tries Mayday pw

• see baby’s funeral

• Serena Joy in garden n Nick speaks

• sees Commander looking in her room

• memories of Serena Joy’s earlier life

9

• accepts it as ‘a room of her own’

• finds predecessor’s Latin msg

10

• sings to herself n remembers »

• Aunt Lydia’s lectures on the past

• moira’s sexual liberalism

• gradual changes - newspaper stories of male violence to women

11

• doctor makes his offer

12

• bath

• prep for Ceremony

• remembers daughter being abducted » ominous

V

Nap

13

• time to spare - thinking

• sees body differently - importance of menstruation n conception

• moira being brought to Red Centre

• Janine ‘testifies’

• dreams of failed escape - Luke n daughter

VI

Household

14

• household prayers to bless Ceremony (silent resistance from Offred, inc importance of real name)

• watch news on TV - racism, war, etc

• remembers start of failed escape attempt

15

• first view of Commander - reads from Genesis

• silent resistance: refuses to pray, thinks of Latin msg

• remembers Moira’s first escape attempt » tortured feet

16

• the Ceremony

17

• after: wants Luke, feels rebellious

• steals flower, meets n embraces Nick

VII

Night

18

• back in bed, longing for Luke

• speculates on Luke’s fate » series of possibilities/’beliefs’

VIII

Birthday

19

• goes in birthmobile to assist delivery of Ofwarren’s baby

• starts with dream of mother/daughter

• causes of infertility in Gilead

20

• recalls indoctrination via porn films n documentaries of 70s/80s feminists inc Mother

• remembers mother’s feminism

21

• ofwarren finally gives birth n hands over baby

22

• recalls Moira’s escape in disguise as an Aunt

23

• first secret meeting w Commander: Scrabble n kiss

IX

Night

24

• feels different about self/identity. able to laugh at sitch

X

Soul Scrolls

25

• meetings with Commander become an ‘arrangement’

• given magazines n hand lotion

26

• ceremony - different because now she’s his mistress

27

• ofglen explains ‘mayday’

28

• how Gilead came about

29

• with Commanders > finds about predecessor

• asks for info on what’s going on

XI

Night

30

• summer night - sees Nick

• feels memories of Luke n daughter fading

• own version of Lord’s prayer

• recalls night of escape with Luke

XII

Jezebel’s

31

• Ofglen - info about Mayday

• SJoy suggests Offred uses Nick’s services

32

• reflects on claustrophobic nature of situation

• considers commander’s justification for the Gilead regime

33

• prayvaganza - marriage ceremony

• janine’s baby - a shredder

• remembers Janine’s near breakdown at Red Centre

34

• prayvaganza continues - women’s roles explored

• irreverent comments from Ofglen n Offred

• Commander again tries to justify situation

• dismisses idea of love

35

• SJ brings photo of daughter

• digression on love

• memories of Luke and escape

36

• Commander takes her out

37

• description of Jezebel’s n glimpses of Moira

38

• Moira’s story

• description of Colonies

39

• Offred’s mother is in Colonies

• dismal sexual encounter w Cmdr

XIII

Night

40

• first sexual encounter w Nick

XIV

Salvaging

41

• in love with Nick - a risky relationship

42

• in love w Nick - a risky relationship

43

• ‘particicution’

• Ofglen’s and Janine’s contrasting actions

44

• Ofglen has hanged herself - saw Black Truck coming for her

45

• Offred feels despair

• SJoy confronts her n makes threats

XV

Night

46

• Nick leads Eyes to ‘arrest’ her - whispers Mayday

• taken away in Black Van to safety?

Historical Notes