The Handmaid’s Tale Study Guide
by Year 13
Offred
Offred is the main character in this novel as well as the narrator and we are told the entire story
from her point of view, experiencing events and memories as she does. She tells the story as it
happens, and shows us the travels of her mind through flashbacks of her past. Through her
flashbacks we are being shown a drastic comparison between the world that is Gilead now and
how it was before. Slowly we learn that she was separated from her husband and child after the
formation of the republic of Gilead continually drawing sympathy from the audience.
Offred is a handmaid. Handmaids are fertile women whose only function is to bear children for
the wives. Having proven fertile she is placed as a handmaid in the home of the commander Fred
and his wife Joy to bear a child for them.
Offred is a slave name which describes her function: she is of-Fred, she belongs to the
commander, Fred. Although we are never directly shown her real name it is implied that her birth
name is June. One night the women in training to be handmaids whisper names across their beds.
The names are "Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June", and all are later accounted for except June.
Offred along with every other handmaid dresses in a “red with a white wings around the face”
that obscure their vision. This can be seen as to keep the handmaids from seeing the world
around them, probably to prevent their temptation to leave, and to prevent them from being seen
as tempting to men. However this proves not be affective in Offred’s case.
The only physical description of Offred presented in the novel is the one she gives of herself. She
describes herself as: "I am thirty-three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without
shoes". This description appears about halfway through the novel, so for a significant portion of
the book the reader remains unaware of her appearance .
“I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those
who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance. If it’s a story I’m telling,
then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will
come after it. I can pick up where I left off.”- For Offred, the act of telling her story becomes a
rebellion against her society. Gilead seeks to silence women, but Offred speaks out, even if it is
only to an imaginary reader. Gilead denies women control over their own lives, but Offred’s
creation of a story gives her “control over the ending.” Offred has found the only way of
rebellion available in the totalitarian society: she denies Gilead control over her inner life and
mind.
"I wait. I compose myself. Myself is a thing I must now compose, as one composes a speech.
What I must present is a made thing, not something born." Chapter. 12- These show Offred's
thoughts just before she goes to participate in the Ceremony (sex with her commander). She tells
the reader that she must create a new self, a new self for Gilead, not the self she was born, where
the services of a handmaid would be shameful.
“Live in the present, make the most of it, it's all you've got." Ch. 24- Offred tries to compose her
thoughts after her first visit to the Commander's office, she is trying to rationalize her visits with
the commander.
"Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things
will be back the way they were.
It hasn't happened this morning, either.” Chapter. 31 - Hope (and illusion) keeps reviving, only to
be defeated by reality.
“It makes me feel safer, that Moira is here” chapter 13
“There is an us, there’s a we. I knew it.”- chapter27
Moira
We are shown, through Offred’s flashbacks, that Moira has been a close friend of Offred's since
college.
Moira represents the female resistance to Gilead. She is a lesbian which means she rejects the
idea of male-female sexual intercourse. This ironically is the only idea which Gilead values. She
defies the fate in which most other handmaids adopt. She is also the only character in the novel
that stands up to authority by escaping from the Red Center. “Moira had power now, she’d been
set loose, she’d set herself loose. She was now a loose woman”-chapter 22. Later When Offred
runs into Moira after her escape, Moira has been recaptured and is working as a prostitute at
Jezebel’s. Here she gives up fighting and she has become submissive to her fate. This change
symbolizes the way this totalitarian state can crush even the freest individuals.
Moira’s relationship with Offred embodies female friendship. When both are sent to Gilead, this
friendship is crushed because of Gilead’s claim to promote solidarity between women.
"Moira was like an elevator with open sides. She made us dizzy." Chapter. 22 -These are
Offred's thoughts after Moira has escaped. The idea of this freedom that Moira has attained
frightens the women who have become so accustomed to their limited lives.
“she always made me laugh”- Offred talks about Moira in chapter 10
“she was not stunned, the way I was. In some strangr way she was graceful, as if this was what
she had been expecting for some time now”- chapter 28
“If I were Moira, I’d know how to take it apart, reduce it to its cutting edges. I have no
screwdriver but if I were Moira I could do it without a screwdriver. I’m not Moira”- chapter 28.
Here Offred is thinking in a similar way to Moira trying to use her restless and rebellious nature
to come up with an idea for escape. She realizes, however, that she is not Moira and she doesn’t
have the same skills as her.
The Commander
According to Professor Pieixoto analysis of the historical notes, the Commander’s real name is Frederick
R. Waterford, one of the earlier leaders of Gilead but who died during one of the first purges because of
his liberal tendencies.
The commander is one of the founders of Gilead and thus bears responsibility for the totalitarian society.
Although the Commander is one of the founders of the society, he seems to have no problem with
breaking the rules of the society he helped create.
The commander himself seems like a victim trapped in the Gilead regime. He has a strong need for
companionship and he satisfies this need by establishing an orthodox relationship with Offred, seeing her
on evenings and playing scrabble, a forbidden game from the past, with her. This clandestine relationship
seems charitable as the Commander is far more sympathetic and friendly towards Offred than any other
character in the book, he treats her with a certain paternalistic kindness. In the end it becomes apparent
that the relationship the Commander establishes with Offred is selfish. The commander is just looking for
an escape from the prison he helped create and by doing so he puts Offred at a terrible risk (shown by the
fact that the previous handmaid hung herself when her relationship with the commander was found out).
The best description of the relationship between Offred and the Commander is given by Offred in chapter
24, where Offred recalls a documentary, about a mistress of a nazi guard defending her lover, saying that
was not a monster, she had seen in her life before Gilead. “How easy it is to invent a humanity, for
anyone at all. What an available temptation.” The nights spent with the Commander are actually quite
enjoyable, he treats her kindly, she engages in activities she is supposed to, like scrabble, and receives
luxuries she isn’t supposed to, for example books, magazines and moisturizer. She has to resist temptation
to actually like him as the Commander is more or less responsible for her situation, being the one of the
founders of Gilead.
In chapter 32, the Commander offers a vage explanation to why Gilead was established. “The problem
wasn’t only with the women, he says. The main problem was with the men. There was nothing for them
anymore . . . I’m not talking about sex, he says. That was part of it, the sex was too easy . . . You know
what they were complaining about the most? Inability to feel. Men were turning off on sex, even. They
were turning off on marriage. Do they feel now? I say. Yes, he says, looking at me. They do.” The
quotation suggests that feminism and the cultural revolution lead to women becoming men’s equal and
therefore men’s role as the women’s protector was taken away. Also because of the sexual revolution, sex
was much easier to obtain causing the act to lose meaning. By establishing Gilead, men regained meaning
as the soldier, protectors and providers of society.
Serena Joy
Serena Joy is the Commander’s wife who worked as a gospel singer before the establishment of Gilead.
Serena Joy was also a strong anti-feminist, promoting traditional values by giving public speeches. Just
like her husband, she has a high position in society (for a woman) and she is a strong supporter of the
Gilead society but she is unhappy, showing that living in a restricted and male-dominated society even as
one of the most powerful woman is like living in a prison. Being confined to her home and having to
witness her husband copulate with a handmaid has made Serena Joy bitter and jealous. This jealousy is
directed at Offred, causing Offred to become the target of her frustration.
Serena Joy’s interactions between Offred are as little as possible, advoiding verbal interaction. If Serena
Joy does have to speak to Offred it is very limited. Serena Joy treats Offred more like an object than as a
person. “Possibly she’ll put a hand on my shoulder, to steady herself, as if I’m a piece of furniture”
(chapter 14)
Serena’s desire for a baby is incredibly strong, so strong that she is willing to break the rules of society by
arranging Offred to sleep with Nick. Serena Joy is not making these plans because she is trying to help
Offred get pregnant. When Offred is pregnant, Serena Joy gets to raise the baby and Offred is no longer
needed in the household.
Serena Joy ‘s fails to see the frustration of other women, she only sees her own hardships. Her lack of
sympathy and selfishness makes her a perfect tool to the Gilead society as it relies on women to oppress
other women, which is what Serena is obviously doing to Offred.
Narrative Technique and Structure
In the first few pages, the first section called "Night" is told in flashback,
establishing the fact that this book takes place at a time when army blankets that
say "U.S." are notably old, in a place where women sleep in a gymnasium
surrounded by barbed wire. This sets a tone of danger for the following present
tense episodes, to contrast the passivity of the bland life described there.
The chapters of the novel alternate,
with the even numbered ones naming some place in town that the narrator goes to
and the odd numbered ones named "Night"
(with the exception of "Nap" in Chapter V).
Tills emphasized the distinction between the times when the handmaid's brain is
allowed to be active and when it is supposed to be shut down in sleep, ironically,
her life becomes more active and colorful during the "Night" sections, usually
because she uses her private time to remember, and later to carry on her affair with
Nick. It is significant that the trip to Jezebel's is not placed in a "Night" section,
even though it occurs after dark and is a supposedly covert action, indicating that it
could still be considered mainstream because it poses no threat to the power
structure.
Chapter 16  sex scene, it is very short, which shows that Offred does not enjoy
what is being forced to do.
At the end of the novel, the "Historical Notes" section offers a lecture given in the
year 2195 by the Director of Twentieth−and Twenty−first Century Archives at
Cambridge University. This jump to almost two hundred years beyond the events
of the book allows us, the readers to put these events into a larger perspective,
offering the hope that an oppressive society like Gilead is not the fate of human
kind, but instead is the sort of misstep that civilization is bound to take in its
development.
Symbols
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Cambridge, Massachusetts
o Cambridge was the location of one of the first religious and intolerant groups
o Symbolic for this Puritan Ideology that deals harshly with religious, sexual, or
political deviations
Harvard
o As a university was a symbol of knowledge
o As the location of the salvaging, it is now a symbol of the denial of knowledge
Red
o sexual, danger, sin
White
o Purity
Blue
o Calm, peaceful, coping
o Ironic as the wives are the opposite
Palimpsest
o The red Center is described as a palimpsest
o Symbolic for the replacement of the old world by the new Gilead
Names
o The handmaids are given generic names upon entering the house of a new
commander
o “And of course she is the new one, and Ofglen, wherever she is, is no longer
Ofglen” (ch 44 Pg283)
o The lack of connection to the names is symbolic for the loss of freedom and
identity as handmaids
Scrabble
o “I want you to play scrabble with me” He says” (Ch 23 page 138)
o ‘So that’s what’s hidden in the forbidden room! Scrabble!” (ch 23 page 138)
o “Now of course it’s something different. Now it’s dangerous. Now it’s indecent.”
(Ch 23 page 138)
o A symbol of the constraints of knowledge placed upon the Citizens of Gilead.
Free thoughts and speech is forbidden. Therefore the game represents the
punishment for rebellion against the restrictions on free speech.
Megan Davids (Chapter 31)
o Symbol for the Star of David and the oppression of religion and all beliefs besides
the ones Gilead wants
Serena Joy’s Garden and the flowers
o The flowers are described as “swelling genitalia of flowers”
o Symbolic for feminine sexuality as she clips the plants to symbolically rebel
Nick’s Cap
o Obedience of Social Order
Offred’s mother
o Used to symbolize the ultimate virtue of motherhood
o Ironic as Gilead laws remove that motherhood by taking the handmaids away
from their babies and the housewives are meant to be mother figures.
Moira
o Symbol of freedom and rebellion
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o “elevator with open sides” as described by Offred
o Her ability to dress as an Aunt is symbolic for resistance against Gilead’s attempt
to ‘define’ her
o Freedom is also shown through the difference in her name.
Gilead
o Symbol of the dystopian potential of ideologies of exclusion
Ambiguous Ending
o Both the book and the historical notes end in an ambiguous, mirroring the
unfinished project of equality between men and women
Imagery
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Immediate contrasting imagery of the handmaids in the gymnasium
o “We had flannel sheets, like children’s, and army issue blankets, old ones that still
said US”
o “…to sleep in army cots that had been set up in rows so we could not talk”
o Opening paragraph very adolescent through descriptions of the gym, dances, and
sex. All are presented through long, descriptive sentences
o Imagery effectively describes the nature of the handmaids. They are meant to be
nurtured (like children) and innocent as they are said to be the future of an
infertile Gilead but are instead treated like prisoners surrounding by an army
influence.
Description of the Japanese Tourist; Shopping Chapter 5
o “Cocking their heads to one side like robins”
o “The skirts reach just below the knee and the legs come out beneath them, nearly
naked in their thin stockings”
o “their backs arch at the waist, thrusting their buttocks out”
o Aid in presenting a energetic, sexual image of the tourists through similes and
diction
o Ironic as that used to be the normal wear, yet the Gilead Society has been ‘brainwashed’ so that all aspects of sexuality have been removed.
Description of the people hanging on the wall; Shopping Chapter 6
o Use of similes
o Personal pronouns of “you” to target reader
o “It makes the men like dolls on which the faces themselves would be. It makes the
men like dolls… Like scarecrows”
o “Though if you look and look as we are doing, you can see the outlines of the
features under the white clothes”
o Imagery is important for the reader to understand the position of Offred. The role
of Gilead was to wipe everything clean, so this imagery is meant to inspire fear
into forming into the perfect society. However the tone shows more indifference,
holding onto past memories
The ceremony ; Households Chapter 16
o Change in diction to more vulgar terms
o Use of similes and rhetorical questions to draw in the reader and make the reader
contemplate the actions of the ceremony.
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o “He is preoccupied, like a man humming to himself in the shower without
knowing he’s humming; like a man who has other things on his mind”
o “and the Commander fucks, with a regular two four marching stroke, one and on
like a tap dripping”
o Used to show just how disgusted Offred is with the situation of being used just as
a sexual vessel. The removal of the love aspect has begun
Offred’s Memories
The presentation of the clothes in Jezebel’s
Oppression of Women/Feminism
Feminism – the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of social, political and economic
equality to men
This novel could be seen as a form of feminism, as it is painting men in a negative light, suggesting that
their actions are despicable and usually selfish. Men are suggested to be narrow minded, believing that
they have full control over society and especially women. One of the messages of this novel is that
women are still oppressed by men within society, yet the irony is that without women, men would not be
able to survive, in order for the universe to continue, the existence of women must prevail. Atwood
however expresses that men use women for only that sole purpose, not treating them as human beings but
merely as objects responsible for the continuity of mankind.
THE OPPRESSION OF WOMEN
The oppression of women is a recurrent theme in this novel, as women are treated as objects, lacking
individuality, and not allowed to express their own opinions and emotions. The oppression of women is
primarily exhibited in two forms:
1.) The oppression of women by the state:
The oppression of women is primarily characterized by the totalitarian regime of Gilead. Women are
unable to vote, hold property or jobs, read or do anything that encourages independence, allowing them to
undermine their husbands or the state.
Women are objectified, and reduced to nothing more than a biological role of a “two-legged womb”.
Their bodies are regarded as tools, as they are lead to believe that their only importance in life and in
society is to bear children. “We are containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important” (pg
107).
“I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement
for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I’m a cloud, congealed
around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within
its translucent wrapping.” – Chapter 13 This quote demonstrates how Offred has internalized the
Gilead’s attitude towards women, as treating them as objects as opposed to individuals.
Another way, in which Gilead oppresses women, is through the control, which they have over their
names. By stripping the handmaids of their names, they are stripping them of their individuality, instead
placing them under the control of their commanders. For example “Offred” which is a combination of the
word “of” and her commanders name. The use of the word “of” is often used a term of belonging,
therefore emphasizing that the handmaid’s are object, controlled by the commanders. “My name isn’t
Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it’s forbidden” (pg 94). It seems that the
purpose of stripping the women of Gilead of their individuality, is order to make them submissive, in
terms of their conformity to society and societies rules.
Women, who choose to not comply with the rules presented by society, are tortured or killed for
disobeying the law. Not only is a form of oppression in itself, the fact that the Giledean society leads the
handmaids to believe that they are no longer being exploited and disrespected, is also a form of
oppression. The irony of this is that Gilead claims to suppress sexual violence, by punishing those who
commit it, however through “The Ceremony” a time when the handmaids are forced to have sex with
their Commanders, it is actually institutionalizing it.
The state is ruled by males, therefore the oppression of women by the state, mirrors the oppression of
women by males, this is epitomized through Jezebel’s, which provides prostitutes for the elite. There is a
certain level of irony in this considering on one hand Jezebel’s represents freedom from the oppression of
Gilead, however on the other hand Jezebel’s symbolizes a different type of oppression of women, through
prostitution. This is encapsulated through Moira who is a symbol of feminist hope, yet the only way for
her to survive the oppression of society is to be a part of it, therefore suggesting that the oppression of
women is inescapable.
This forms the suggestion made by Atwood that oppression is endured willingly, as long as those
enduring it receive a slight amount of power or freedom. An example of this is Offred’s contentment with
the rules of Gilead, during her relationship with Nick. On a greater scale Atwood suggests that the women
are complacent with the rules of Gilead, as they willingly participate and follow the rules presented by the
state. “Nor does rape cover it: Nothing is going on here that I haven’t signed up for. There wasn’t a lot
of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose.” (pg 105)
“We learned to whisper almost without sound” (pg 14)
2.) The oppression of women by other women:
Women are categorized according to two sorts; the legitimate, who make up the mainstream society and
illegitimate women who only exist outside the mainstream society.
Legitimate Women
“Wives” – They are the top social level
permitted to women
“Daughters” – They are the natural or
adopted children of the ruling class
“Handmaids” – They are fertile women
whose social function is to bear children
for the Wives
“Aunts” – They train and monitor the
Handmaids
“Marthas” – They are older infertile
women whose compliant nature and
domestic skills lead them to a life of
domestic servitude
“Econowives” – They are women who
have married relatively low-ranking men
Illegitimate Women
“Unwomen” – They are sterile women,
widows, feminists, lesbians, nuns, all
women who are incapable of integrating
socially with Gilead’s gender divisions
“Jezebels” – They are prostitutes and
entertainers, available only to the
commanders and their guests.
The division of labour between women is what plays a great part in engendering the feeling of resentment
between them. For example Marthas, Wives and Econowives perceive Handmaids as being sluttish, and
look down upon them with great distaste.
Since the continuity of society is placed in control of the Handmaids, they are placed in a more superior
position. “They are supposed to show respect, because of the nature of our service” (pg 31)
This contributes to the idea that in Giledean society, women are taught to fear and hate other women, thus
demonstrating that the oppression of women in society has not only caused a divide between genders, but
more importantly a divide between the different classes of women.
“Beneath her veil the first one scowls at us. One of the others turns aside, spits on the side walk. The
Econowives do not like us” (pg 54)
"Agreed to it right away, really she didn't care, anything with two legs and a good you-know-what was
fine with her. They aren't squeamish, they don't have the same feelings we do." (pg. 215)
This is particularly emphasized when analysing the relationships between the handmaid’s and the wives.
The wives don’t hold the authority in society, as it is empowered by males, however within their own
households, they have the ability to exercise authority on the handmaids. For example when looking at the
relationship between Serena Joy and Offred:
“They don’t want us to look attractive. For them things are bad enough as it is.” (pg. 107)
“There is loathing in her voice, as if the touch of my flesh sickens and contaminates her.” (pg 106)
“Possible she’ll put a hand on my shoulder, to steady herself, as if I’m a piece of furniture” (pg 89)
Historical Context
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Written mid 80’s in Berlin / Alabama
Published in 1986
Politics
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Conservative revival -> well organized religious movement -> perceived excesses of
‘sexual revolution’
1980s -> political movement -> fiscal restraint & social conservatism
o shift in response permissive unchecked social spending in 1970’s
 due to freedoms won by social revolutions 1960’s
Atwood hone country Canada
o From liberal (16 years) -> Progressive Conservative
England Margaret Thatcher 1979
o Reversed decades of socialism selling government run industries to private
companies
1980 Ronald Reagan elected President
o campaign implied government regulations inefficient/expensive for US economy
to sustain
o Reagan very popular American public allowed him shift priorities of government
 Military budget increase each year
 Social programs eliminated/cut
 Benefits cutting redundant programs offset increase poverty and
homelessness
• Because programs established help the poor and balance financial
inequalities established through years of racism and sexism
 EXTREME SHIFT -> CONSERVATISM comparable social change
created in Republic of Gilead
Religious Fundamentalism
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Growing power of “religious right” scared feminists all gains made reversed
o Book reflects religious extremists took over -> turned sexual revolution upside
down
The Moral Majority (MM) affected 1980’s politics in US
o Founded Jenny Falwell evangelist fundamentalist
o TV show host “Old Time Gospel Hour”
 Millions of supporters
One of issues opposed by MM
o EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (constitutional guarantee women treated
equally to men
o WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE TO FAMILY =>felt gave too much recognition
to too many varieties of family structure
o Abortion
One of the issues supported by MM
o Saying prayers publically funded school
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o Tax credits schools taught religious doctrine
o Government opposition pornography
Huge impact American politics national + local politicians had to pledge support to
‘family values’ that MM used to define their agenda => couldn’t win without pleasing
such a large block of voters
Equal Rights Amendment unratified -> not enough support
National endowment for the arts national scrutiny -> budget cut because some artists
produced work that ‘offended standards of decency’
Abortion federal funding eliminated but not outlawed
As decade wore on influence of MM + politically active religious figures diminished and
wore out
Leader MM accused hypocrite -> 1989 disbanded
Rituals
The ceremony
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“This is not recreation, even for the Commander. This is serious business. The
Commander, too, is doing his duty” pg95
“What he is fucking is the lower part of my body. I do not say making love, because this
is not what he’s doing, Copulating too would be inaccurate, because it would imply that
two people are involved and only one is involved. Nor does rape cover it: nothing is
going on here that I haven’t signed up for.”pg94
o No intimacy or passion, merely an act to impregnate the handmaid.
The ceremony itself is a chapter → highlight’s its importance
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I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or
an implement for the accomplishment of my will . . . Now the flesh arranges itself
differently. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is
hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping.
Before, her body was an instrument, an extension of her self; now, her self no longer
matters, and her body is only important because of its “central object,” her womb, which
can bear a child. In Gilead, women are not treated as individuals but as objects important
only for the children that they can bear. Women’s wombs are a “national resource,” the
state insists, using language that dehumanizes women.
Salvaging
Capital punishment
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Serves to warn the women of what the consequences would be if the fail to oblige to the
law.
“it has been the custom to precede the actual Salvagings with a detailed account of the
crimes of which the prisoners stand convicted… we have found that such a public
account, especially when televised, is invariably followed by a rash…of exactly similar
crimes” pg. 275
Going to the shops
During her time at the Red Center, Offred becomes very aware of the regime's strategy of keeping people
ignorant. "Knowing was a temptation," she writes, and remembers that Aunt Lydia used to say "What you
don't know won't tempt you" (ch. 30)
Entrapment – Now and again we vary the routes; there’s nothing against it, as long as we stay withing the
barriers. A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze pg 165
We’ve been to the stores already, and the church, now we’re at the Wall
Birth Day pg109
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Whenever a handmaid gives birth
“the red Birthmobilie is parked in the driveway…the carpet on the floor is red, red
curtains are drawn over the windows” pg111
Also gives a chance for the other handmaid’s to talk
“ Sometimes you can find things out, on Birth Day
Other Characters
Nick
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Guardian, low level officer/chauffer
Offred and Nick have an affair together – Somewhat resembling Luke and Offred’s
affair.
Offred denies to herself the similarities, because it means that she already thinks Luke is
dead if she is trying to replace him. “They cannot replace each other. Nick for Luke or
Luke for Nick."
Either part of the Eyes or part of the Underground or both.
Takes Offred away, ambiguous as to where to
Offglen v.1.0
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Member of the Mayday underground.
Hangs herself? Unsure.
Replaced by a new Offglen
Janine/Ofwarren
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Conformist, submissive
Pregnant to an ‘unbaby’
Other handmaids were jealous of her. Because she accepted the Gileadean values so
easily?
Believes that things are always her fault
Opposite of Moira, Moira having to snap her out of a nervous breakdown maybe
juxtaposes both their personalities.
Luke
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Offred’s husband. Often compared to Nick?
Symbolises freedom, Offred constantly thinks of him, asscociates him with a time when
she was free. Emphasized by the fact that he cheated on his wife for her, an act only
doable in the pre-gileadean society.
Offred is in constant denial about the possibility that he could be dead.
Sense of secrecy in their relationship, much like her relationship with Nick.
“Luke, you’d know, you’d understand. It’s you here, in another body.” Pg 99
Offred’s Mother
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Activist, went to book burnings and protests etc.
Foreshadowing. Her ideal world where women were considered ‘special’ where there is
no pornography came true. In a sense.
She symbolizes motherhood, which is what Gilead takes away, they take away the
mothering aspect of society, paralleled by their taking away of Offred’s mother and
putting her in to the colonies.
SYMBOLISM
Jobs
Guardian
Colour
Black
Handmaid
Red
Martha
Green
Econowife
Green, Red, Blue
Wife
Blue
Daughter
White
Symbolism
Black is associated with
secrecy, the unknown,
professionalism,
government, evil.
Passion, sensuality –
Ironic because their role
in society has a distinct
lack of any kind of
passion. Represents
sexuality which contrasts
the chaste blue of the
Wives. Fertility.
Infertile, generally older.
Contrasting colour to red.
Symbolises that they have
the exact opposite role as
the handmaids.
The role that most
resembles that of a wife
before Gilead and so are
considered the lowest
class, looked down upon
by everyone else.
Calm, serenity, wives
probably intended as the
peacekeeper. Chastity.
Innocence, purity, naïveté.
Language in “The Handmaid’s Tale”
The novel is written in first person from the point of view of Offred. She tells the story as if she is directly
addressing the reader making it more engaging as they feel more involved with the plot. Most of the novel
is written in the present tense, including many of the flashbacks.
Repetition
The monotony of Offred’s daily life is reflected in the frequent repetition of words or phrases such as:
“I chew and swallow, chew and swallow” pg 65
“All I can hear now is the sound of my own heart, opening and closing, opening and closing, opening and
closing.” pg 147
“I would like to be without shame. I would like to be shameless. I would like to be ignorant” pg. 263
Many of these repeated sections are found at the end of a chapter, reinforcing the repetitious nature of her
life.
Language as a way of maintaining control
Women in Gilead are forbidden to read and write because it is believed that this would enable them to be
on an equal level of knowledge as men. They are denied access to books, newspapers and even the Bible
to prevent them from acquiring any knowledge that contradicts what they have previously been taught
about the Republic of Gilead.
As a result of this, Offred has trouble recalling words that she does not use in basic everyday language.
This becomes evident during the times she plays Scrabble with the Commander:
“My tongue felt thick with the effort of spelling. It was like using a language I had once known but had
nearly forgotten” pg. 155/156
This highlights one of the main reasons of the restrictions of language in Gilead: If people are not allowed
to use words other than those needed to for basic communication, many will soon forget the more
powerful words which are able to evoke emotions. As a result, they will be less able to communicate
many of their emotions, thoughts and feelings because they do not have the vocabulary to do so. This
makes it more difficult for a successful resistance against the Republic to form and thus helps the leaders
of Gilead to maintain control.
Imagery
In order to reflect the limitations on Offred’s use of language, descriptions of settings and events are fairly
plain. However, imagery such as similes and metaphors are still used throughout the novel and the
comparisons that are drawn often relate to everyday objects such as plants, animals and nature in general;
“the pupils of my eyes dialate, like a cat’s or an owl’s” pg. 97
“her transparent voice, her voice of raw white egg” pg. 129
“she might be a spy, a plant, set to trap me; such is the soil in which we grow. But I can’t believe it;
hoping is rising in me, like the sap of a tree” pg. 169
“It cruises…shark on the prowl” pg. 169
Now that she is forbidden to do things such as read, Offred spends more of her time observing on-goings
around her. She begins to pay attention to small details and these are highlighted through the many
references to senses throughout the novel:
“The butter is greasy and it will go rancid and I will smell like an old cheese.” pg. 97
“A squeak of wood” pg. 97
“fingers on cool porcelain” pg. 99
“a thin sound like the hum of an insect…like a flower of sound opening” pg. 111
“They would taste also of lime…Crisp, slightly acid on the tongue, delicious” pg. 139
Biblical language
The language and terminology in Gilead contain a lot of Biblical references such as “Blessed be the fruit”
as a form of greeting, “Guardians of Faith” and “Angels”. This serves as a constant reminder of the
principles upon which Gilead was formed and also to create the impression that Gilead is almost an
extension of the Bible itself. This is another way in which the leaders are able to maintain control over the
citizens as their rituals and rules all (supposedly) revolve around biblical texts.
Names
The official language created by Gilead removes personal identity and instead classifies them according
to either their military rank (men) or role (females). Handmaids lose their individuality to a greater extent
than other women as their former name is replaced by “Of-” followed by the name of their Commander
e.g. “Ofwarren” and “Offred”. When their Commander changes, so does their name and in doing this, a
sense of ownership of the Handmaids is created which also assists Gilead in maintaining control over
people.
Those who are considered ‘abnormal’ (either physically deformed or who resist the restrictions imposed
by the Republic) are also classified using terms such as “Unwoman” or “Unbaby”. This makes them seem
less human making it easier for society to persecute them.
Setting
The Republic of Gilead is a fictional country that is the setting of the Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel
The Handmaid's Tale. The Handmaid's Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead, a country formed within the
borders of what was formerly the United States of America by a racist, male chauvinist, nativist,
theocratic-organized military coup motivated by an ideologically-driven response to the pervasive
ecological degradation of the land, widespread infertility, and attendant social dislocations. Beginning
with a staged terrorist attack killing the President and ousting Congress, was afterwards referred to as "the
President's Day massacre," the coup leaders launched a revolution which overthrew the United States
government and abolished the US Constitution. The new theocratic military dictatorship, styled "The
Republic of Gilead", moved quickly to consolidate its power and reorganize society along a new
militarized, hierarchical, compulsorily-Christian regime of Old Testament-inspired social and religious
orthodoxy among its newly-created social classes. The government has proclaimed martial law due to the
destabilizing effect of "hordes of guerrillas" roaming the countryside, although the actual threat from the
"guerrillas" may be greatly exaggerated. The guerrillas in the novel are people from opposing religious
groups, even Christians, who follow the teachings of the New Testament.
The novel indicates that pre-Gileadian society was not favorable for women. This society was a late 20thcentury version of the United States as Atwood envisioned it developing at the time of its writing (1985).
In this society, women feared physical and sexual violence, and despite long-running feminist campaigns
(approximately 1970–2000 within the text), they had not achieved equality. Feminist campaigners like
Offred's mother and Moira were persecuted by the state. Radical feminism had teamed up with social
conservativism in campaigns against pornography. In addition, mass commercialization had reached a
nadir of "fast-food" and "home delivery" sexuality. Women outside of prostitution in "the former times"
were subject to a socially constructed vision of romantic love that encouraged serial monogamy in favour
of men's social and sexual interests.
In pre-Gileadean society, despite holding a university degree, Offred was a menial white collar worker
whose colleagues were all women, with a male boss. Aside from having had to cope with oppressive
cultural and social phenomena, women lacked full and meaningful control over their economic lives.
The book also hints that the birth rate was in decline due to unspecified circumstances prior to the
revolution by noting that the Center where Moira and Offred were kept was a high school that had been
closed sometime in the mid-1980s due to a lack of students.
In the novel, women are depicted as the property of men in both societies, in the United States as private
property and in Gilead as social property.
The novel appears to be set in the Harvard Square neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where
Atwood studied at Radcliffe College, and many locations in the novel are recognizable. Victims of
"Salvagings" (public executions) are hanged on the wall of Harvard Yard; Fred's home is on the famous
"Professor's Row"; and the Brattle Theatre, Memorial Hall and Widener Library make very prominent
cameos.
The Republic of Gilead is governed according to strict Old Testament-based religious dogma. Other
religions are not tolerated, and those who do not conform are quickly executed by the state or shipped to
areas of the former US known as the "colonies" which have dangerously high levels of radiation. The
colonies are also the source of most of Gilead's agricultural production. For a brief period at the outset of
the Republic, Jewish people also have the option of emigrating to Israel, as they are regarded as Sons of
Jacob and therefore deserving of special treatment. Those who may have formerly been considered
African-American are redesignated the Children of Ham and transported to National Homeland One,
believed to be located somewhere within the boundaries of what was previously North Dakota. However,
some sources have suggested that formerly African-American women form part or all of the complement
of the Marthas, a group of sterile, older women who are deemed most appropriate for a life of domestic
servitude.
The Handmaid’s Tale:
Perversion of Religion and Politics
Margaret Atwood’s main theme throughout her novel is the perversion of religion and politics. Politics
and religion seem to intertwine to produce one of the most authoritarian and dreaded political system of
all – a theocracy where government and religion are not separated. Both politics and religion are areas of
conflict and quarrel in our society of the 21st century. Religious extremism, for example, whether Islamist,
Judaist, Christian and etc. is represented in the novel through the implementation of a radical Christian
government in the United States that directs the lives of their subjects according to the bible. The theme
of the perversion of religion and politics is conveyed through several factors including the vocabulary
employed by the new state, the role of the handmaids and the dominace of males.
Gilead’s official vocabulary incorporates religious terminology and biblical references. Domestic servants
are called “Marthas” in reference to a domestic character in the New Testament; the local police are
“Guardians of the Faith”; soldiers are “Angels”; and the Commanders are officially “Commanders of the
Faithful.” All the stores have biblical names: Loaves and Fishes, All Flesh, Milk and Honey. Even the
automobiles have biblical names like Behemoth, Whirlwind, and Chariot. Using religious terminology to
describe people, ranks, and businesses whitewashes political skullduggery in pious language. It provides
an ever-present reminder that the founders of Gilead insist they act on the authority of the Bible itself.
Politics and religion sleep in the same bed in Gilead, where the slogan “God is a National Resource”
predominates. However, the role of the handmaids within the novel (especially through the first person
narrator, Offred) conveys this subsequent theme.
The Handmaids are girls who have only one purpose in life which is to reproduce. They are women who
when have reached the age and maturity to reproduce have been taken to Gilead where they are tattooed
with four digits and an eye which immobilises them, in contrast to the winged male eye which is the state
symbol. Then they are re-educated at the so called Red-centre, the name emphasises female sexuality and
how they are taught there can be linked with brainwashing. They are told how lucky they should feel
because they have been saved from the primitive and cruel outside world where women are being raped
and maltreated. There they are "valued only in terms of their biological usefulness as child bearers" due to
that the birth rate in the society has fallen to a catastrophically low level because of deadly pollution and
sexually transmitted diseases which cause sterility and infertility. They are known by their Commanders
first names, Of -(name of commander), this to underline their function as sexual objects without
individuality. Moreover, the dominace of the male sex within this theocracy also highlights the perversion
of religion and politics as a central theme to the novel.
Religion is used to make people fear going against God because they will be punished. The new society
follows a patriarchal law that women must obey their male counterparts. The book opens our eyes to a
male dominant society and it takes religion to a whole new level. No matter how much a women is
contained, a society can not exist with out child bearing women but if they are infertile they are not seen
as women and gotten rid of. Here, women are slaves and sexual objects to males. Women must not speak
unless spoken to and only in short positive responses. Women are solely kept for the bases of producing
children . In this society women are punished because since biblical times, they have been transgressors.
They must now be subjects unto their husbands because "Adam was not deceived, but the women being
deceived was in transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved by childbearing (Chapter 34, pg 221).
Here the society degrades women because they are unholy. Their importance is only to bear children.
Women are shamed thru the bible and are unclean if they serve no purpose. Gilead remains in control by
silencing these women. Women are like caged birds. When you think you are releasing them to freedom,
they return because that is what they are trained to do. Their belief of freedom is different to them and
their leaders or trainers make them feel that this is the way of life. Those in control remain in power
because they take all forms of living and make its followers believe that the new way is a better freedom
and God will save them if they follow.
In conclusion, the science fiction novel, The Handmaid's Tale, written by Margaret Atwood describes a
futuristic thought of what happens when a new fundamentalist republic is introduced in the United States
and how they use Biblical allusions for propaganda. This they accomplish by distorting the source of the
Old Testament, as well as other religious documents, in a rhetoric representation to fit the interests and
ideologies of the Gileadean society. Continuously the so called Handmaid's are women taken to
Gileadean for reproductive purposes where they are brainwashed to believe that they are protected from a
cruel outside world. Furthermore, the dominance of males in this new society also highlights the theme of
perversion of religion and politics within the novel.
Topic Tracking: Religion
Chapter 2
Religion 1: Marthas are unmarried, unfertile women who perform household duties in the homes of the
elite of Gilead. In the gospels, Martha is one of two sisters. Martha devotes herself to housework
while Mary spends her time listening to Jesus speak. Jesus praised Mary, whereas Martha's role is
exalted in Gilead.
Chapter 5
Religion 2: In the Bible, Gilead is an idyllic section of the land of the Hebrews. Atwood was probably
referring specifically to Jeremiah 8:22: "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why
then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" The Republic of Gilead was intended
to be a panacea for the problems left unsolved by the United States of America.
Chapter 11
Religion 3: Offred fears being caught having sex with the doctor. He reassures her that two people will
not break down the locked door. Deuteronomy 17:6 requires two witnesses to an act of adultery for a
couple to be stoned to death.
Chapter 13
Religion 4: The Bible the Commander reads from is usually locked in a box. This practice was prevalent
during the Dark Ages. The Commander reads prescribed sections of the Bible that support the
Ceremony and the role of the Handmaid. The sections he reads are Genesis 8:17, 30:1-8, 30:18, and
Zechariah 4:10. His selective reading mirrors the censored television programming Serena flipped
through before he entered the room.
Chapter 13
Religion 5: The televised news reports on different battles the Republic of Gilead is fighting. The enemies
are all religious groups, Baptists and Quakers. Earlier Offred mentioned that trade routes to Central
America were severed by the Libertheos, a group probably vying for freedom of religion.
Chapter 19
Religion 6: In Offred's room there is a cushion with the word "Faith" embroidered on it. Offred imagines
that it belonged to a three-cushion set. She refers to I Corinthians 13:13, "So faith, hope, love; abide,
these three; but the greatest of these is love." As a Handmaid, Offred has been denied hope and love
and told to have faith.
Religion 7: Janine gives birth on a two-tiered birthing stool, so that she can fulfill the biblical practice of
the maid giving birth on the knees of the wife.
Chapter 31
Religion 8: The Republic of Gilead gave Jews the opportunity to immigrate to Israel or convert to the
state religion. Jews that pretended to convert and were found out were hung.
Chapter 34
Religion 9: The orator at the Prayvaganza quotes scripture that says women shall save themselves through
childbearing. He says it was Eve that caused sin to enter the world and she must pay for it.
Chapter 38
Religion 10: Moira is taken in by Quakers and smuggled to Salem before she is caught. This religious
group is sympathetic to the plight of women and its members risk their lives in their involvement with
the Underground Femaleroad.
Historical Notes
The Handmaid's Tale presents a slightly biased - yet unquestionably intelligent - case for the importance
of storytelling in creating human understanding. Even within the fiction of Gilead, Offred repeatedly
stresses that her account is a story. She does not necessarily intend it as a fair or accurate representation of
the world she describes; she merely wishes to relate her experiences to someone that she loves and wants
to understand what has happened to her. The historians seem willing to listen to Offred's account without
attempting to understand her or her experiences. The reader, however, who takes in the story without
worrying about its factual validity, cannot help but see things from Offred's perspective. Perhaps the
historians have a more accurate picture of life under the Gileadean regime, but the reader seems to have a
fuller understanding of the truth of Offred's situation.
Offred’s story has been published as a manuscript titled The Handmaid’s Tale. Her story was found
recorded on a set of cassette tapes locked in an army foot locker in Bangor, Maine. The main part of the
epilogue is a speech by an expert on Gilead named Professor Pieixoto. He talks about authenticating the
cassette tapes. He says tapes like these would be very difficult to fake. The first section of each tape
contains a few songs from the pre-Gileadean period, probably to camouflage the actual purpose of the
tapes. The same voice speaks on all the tapes, and they are not numbered, nor are they arranged in any
particular order, so the professors who transcribed the story had to guess at the intended chronology of the
tapes.
The historians' distance stems from their belief in the idea of cultural, or moral, relativism. Pieixoto
reminds his audience that they should know better than to judge Gilead by the standards of their own
culture. He points out that the Gileadeans created their seemingly barbaric rules to accommodate unique
pressures that no longer exist, and that "contemporary" society can thus not fully appreciate their purposes
or rationale. Whether or not the reader agrees with this point, it seems likely that approaching The
Handmaid's Tale as a fictional account makes one more likely to judge and disagree with the Gileadeans,
and more apt to side with Offred. This difference allows us to see first-hand the power of so-called
"speculative fiction"; reading a story allows us to examine our judgments and assumptions in a more
leisurely and less dangerous manner than when they are tested out on real events and problems.
Atwood's decision to end her novel with the Historical Notes is intended to urge the reader to consider the
work's overarching moral and philosophical issues. At the same time, she risks leaving readers deeply
unsatisfied if they are unable or unwilling to consider the purposes of such an ending. Throughout the
novel, the reader has been caught up in Offred's point of view, and has been granted no access to other
characters' consciousnesses. Offred tells her audience what she thinks about Luke, Moira, and the other
people who have disappeared from her life. She truly believes in the possibility of multiple "endings"
occurring all at the same time. At the end of the novel, it is Offred who disappears for her readers,
effectively abandoning them much as she has been abandoned. As the historians point out, she may have
been killed, she may have escaped, or she may have escaped only to be recaptured later. Like Offred, the
reader has learned to believe in multiple possibilities. It doesn't really matter whether or not Offred
escaped. Her words escaped, so she survived. Though no one knows her real name, she is not like Ofglen;
she has not been erased from the historical narrative. Whether or not the historians understand the
importance of Offred's effort, the reader understands that she has made her story permanent, and has thus,
in a way, given herself and her fellow Handmaids immortality.