The Handmaid’s Tale
Critical Analysis of Issues
Select from the following topics. Prepare a preliminary thesis for ____________________ and share
with Ms. Peters. It is recommended that you compose a documented/cited outline for your essay’s
development. You will have four full class periods to work on researching and four full class
periods as well as an extended weekend to compose this research paper.
In addition to gathering documented/cited information from Atwood’s novel, you will be required
to solicit at least four secondary sources, read them carefully, and explicate
documented/parenthetically cited/quoted evidence to support your argument within the body of your
paper. The process of accessing acceptable research databases will be covered in class. In addition
to composing the paper in MLA format, you will be required to include a properly formatted title page
and Works Cited page.
The paper should be 7-8 paragraphs, averaging approximately five to six double-spaced pages in
length. In addition to providing a hard copy, you will also submit the paper to turnitin.com. The final
essay will be worth a total of 100 points.
Topic #1
Many democratic governments have been overthrown in the 20th century. The Handmaid’s Tale
shows how the government of the United States might have been overthrown by a fanatical group and
a subsequent dictatorship established. Consider---through research of past/current military coups of
the 20th and 21st centuries---how a government such as Gilead is created and how those in power
attempt to maintain their control.
Topic #2
Sexism and misogyny exist when women are not granted the same rights as men, when women are
restricted to the domestic sphere, and when women are valued primarily for their functionality rather
than their humanity. Consider the way that sexism and misogyny share the culture of Gilead as well
as the societies that precede and follow it in The Handmaid’s Tale. Research the techniques used by
the past/present totalitarian governments to oppress people, and compare them to the methods the
Republic of Gilead uses to oppress women.
Topic #3
The abortion/______________________________ issue has been a continuing controversy in the
United States, but it was a particularly polarizing political issue in the mid-1980s, when The
Handmaid’s Tale was published. Read about prominent figures/organizations from that time that were
either strongly for and against abortion/______________________ and report on that
figure/organization’s past and current background in the abortion/______________________ debate.
Then, consider how and why this issue is so central to the formation and maintenance of the Republic
of Gilead.
Topic #4
Aunt Lydia says to the Handmaid-trainees, “We were a society dying of too much choice.” How does
this statement relate to her distinction between “freedom from and freedom to”? What “freedoms”
does Gilead claim to be providing its citizens? What freedoms are being denied? Finally, apply Aunt
Lydia’s warning to today’s society: Are we indeed a society “dying of too much choice”? Include
current research in your response to this contemporary question.
Significant due dates and
helpful hints
Library research days:
_____________________________
Five sources/MLA works cited page
due date/10 points:
_____________________________
In-class writing days:
_____________________________
Typed/completed rough draft due:
_____________________________