Analysis of key quotations and key themes in the Handmaid's tale. Analysis of characters: Offred, the Commander, Serena Joy, Janine, Moira, Nick and others.
Short summery of each chapter and of the Historical Notes.
Analysis of literary techniques used by Atwood to shape meaning.
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The Handmaid's Tale AO5 Key Critical Quotes Revision Grid
Important Quotes from the Handmaid's Tale by Atwood
EDEXCEL ENGLISH LITERATURE- An essay on the presentation of setting in The Handmaid's Tale and Frankenstein
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English Literature A
Handmaid's Tale
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I NIGHT
Chapter 1
The reader is introduced to the nameless narrator, who recalls being held in the gym. The
sense of longing for the past and a feeling of isolation and threat.
The new dystopian reality is introduced through familiar objects – they are defamiliarized
and acquire new sense and purpose.
Metaphor for love “the hoops for the basketball -> a metaphor for how love or
nets were still in place, though romance isn’t needed for
the nets were gone.” reproduction to take place as
basketball can still be played with
just the hoops.
Description of the Firstly, she mentions what the Dystopian reality is introduced
place where the gym used to be like before (filled with the usage of old, well-
narrator is with movement): smells, music, known to the readers objects and
activity such as dances, bright experiences
Nostalgia colours (green hair) -> olfactory imagery (smells) to
Analeptic describe the past
-> the past is colourful
Then, how the gym looks like
now (controlled and cautious): -> the lights were dim enough to
controlled environment – rows allow the narrator to sleep but to
of army cots with equal spaces also to be watched as they slept -
between them, turned down reinforces the theme of
lights oppression
-> depersonalising living
conditions
Names motif The music lingered, a palimpsest - something reused or
palimpsest of unheard sound altered but still bearing visible
traces of its earlier form.
Introduces the idea of
deconstruction of meaning
Control and “Aunt Sara and Aunt Elizabeth -> ‘aunt’ is usually an endearing
oppression patrolled; they had electric term, which changes its meaning
Sense of danger cattle prods slung on thongs in the new reality - irony
Animalistic from their leather2 belts.” -> “patrol” suggests that the
imagery narrator is being watched and
almost treated like a caged
Deconstruction animal as “cattle prods” are
handheld devices that are
commonly used to make cattle or
other livestock move by striking
or poking them.
, AO3: electric cattle prods were
used by the US police in the
1960s during the race riots
-> reference to cattle highlights
the status of Handmaids as
breeding animals
Hierarchy and ‘No guns, though, even they -> Right away, Offred shows the
division of could not be trusted with guns’ importance of hierarchy and
responsibilities gender roles in this society.
-> there are some others more
oppressive than aunts
Deconstruction of ‘The Angels’ -> connote protection, religion,
familiar objects but the fact that they have guns
‘with their back to us’ hints at the new reality of things
‘objects of fear to us’ -> how familiar things function
within new context
AO3: the New York ‘Guardian
Angels’ - a paramilitary force in
the 1980s to curb social unrest
Control and rules ‘weren’t allowed … weren’t -> reference to 10
allowed’ commandments?
-> anaphora highlights control
Control the football field outside the -> protection or keeping them
Animalistic gym “was enclosed now by a from escaping
imagery chain-link fence topped with -> creates an imagery of wild
barbed wire.” animals in cages
Adjustment to the ‘we learned to ...’ -> women showed an instinct to
new reality adjust to the new reality
Names ‘exchanged names, from bed to -> the only mentioning of list of
Rebellion bed’ names in the book
-> the fact that women were not
introduced to each other
-> simple act of telling a name is
prohibited
II SHOPPING
Chapter 2
The chapter is set in a sterile room which reminds a cell or a room in mental institution.
However, the reader finds out that the narrator’s aim is to survive. The bell informs Offred
that she needs to dress up and go shopping.
The hierarchy of classes and sex is introduced through colours. There is also a hint at return
to traditional values.
,Description of “They’ve removed anything you -> any objects that could be used for
the room could tie a rope to.” committing a suicide are removed
‘the window only opens partly’ -> even death is controlled (the
‘a picture, framed, but with no regime decides when it is time for
glass’ the person to die)
‘I can smell the polish’ -> smell is only of the senses that the
regime cannot regulate against
Deconstruction ‘Waste not want not. I am not -> deconstructive technique: giving a
of meaning being wasted. Why do I want?’ new meaning to the cliché phrase ->
Gilead value of recycling and reusing
Conceit of ‘Flowers are still allowed’ -> the first mentioning of the flowers
flowers, symbol
of rebellion
Obedience and ‘Like other things now, though -> in order to stay sane, Offred limits
desire to stay must be rationed. … Thinking thinking and protects her thoughts
sane can hurt your chances.’ -> hint that there is poverty
-> complies to tendencies in the
Gilead
-> contrary to evolutionary process
Offred’s aim ‘I intend to last’ -> she is determined to survive and
remain mentally sane
-> explains some of her actions
Want and ‘The circumstances have been -> those who are alive, need to be
poverty reduced for those of us who still grateful for their conditions
have circumstances.’
Propaganda ‘Where I am is not a prison but a -> propagandistic line
privilege’ -> how the regime presents the
reality
Similarity to ‘as once in nunneries’ -> Handmaid’s live is similar to a
nuns nun’s, but exaggerated
The purpose of ‘The white wings too are -> Handmaids are important for the
the white wings prescribed issue, they are to Gilead
keep us from seeing, but also to -> they should not tempt
prevent from being seen’
Humour ‘I never looked good in red, it’s -> her past care about her
not my colour’ appearance finds its way into the
present
-> humour suggests she is still sane
Resistance and ‘I refuse to say my’ -> the room does not belong to her
rebellion -> doing so, she would acknowledge
that she chose these circumstances
-> by controlling her own language,
Offred rebels
Hierarchy ‘A sitting room in which I never -> idea that Offred is not on the
sit, but stand or kneel only’ equal terms with the household
-> hints at her marginal position
-> deconstruction of the term ‘sitting
, room’
Description of ‘a distorted shadow, a parody -> reference to the Red Riding Hood
the threat to her of something, some fairytale – memories from the past -
figure in a red cloak, deconstruction
descending towards a moment -> the moment she does something
of carelessness that is the same careless, it will put her in danger
as danger’
Description of ‘A Sister, dipped in blood’ -> reference to a nun
herself -> connotes violence
-> passive tense – she did not choose
it
Colours of ‘black for the Commander’ -> black connotes priest and Nazi
Commander and ‘blue for the Commander’s Wife’ soldiers
his wife -> blue is a reference to virgin Mary
Poverty for ‘In the houses of the -> circumstances have been reduced
some, affluence Commanders there is still real not for everybody
for another coffee’ -> class system remained
Time travelling, ‘the voice itself were a -> voice arrived from the past
connection of traveller, arriving from a distant -> the expressions they used - ‘I
present and the place. Which it would be, which know what you mean’ are from the
past it is.’ past
Rumours ‘Stabbed her with a knitting -> a wife killed a handmaid with a
needle, right in the belly’ baby
Rationing ‘the tokens [with] pictures on -> Gilead eliminates language,
system them’ because it could provoke cognitive
activity
AO4: connection to Orwell, where
the abuse of language signified the
totalitarian regime and attempt to
hide the truth
-> it simplifies everything to be able
to control people easier
-> food should be rationed to
survive, similarly Offred rations her
thoughts
Chapter 3
The narrator goes outside. She describes Serena’s garden and compares it to her own. She
then recalls the moment she arrived to this household and met Serena. Offred got
disappointed with Serena, as she expected her to be better than the previous one.
‘the tulips are opening their -> physicality is unchanged, it is just
cups, spilling out the colour. The the meaning
Serena’s Garden tulips are red, a darker crimson -> Serena Joy tries to control
towards the stem, as if they rebellion, which is symbolised by
have been cut and are beginning the garden
to heal there.’ -> Irony of infertile Serena being in
charge of fertile garden
-> tulips are symbol for Handmaids
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