The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - In-depth Context & Historical Background
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Course
Unit 2 - Prose
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
Book
The Handmaid's Tale
English Literature - works for all exam boards.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
In-depth Context
Includes:
• Reaganism: Ronald Reagan’s presidency and the Conservative religious right
• The Moral Majority – what did this seek to push back against? (1960s and 1970s advances in ...
The handmaid's tale notes on Atwood's context - A STAR
Political and social protest notes year 13
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
English Literature 2015
Unit 2 - Prose
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Handmaid’s Tale Context
Reaganism: Ronald Reagan’s presidency and the Conservative religious right
The Moral Majority – what did this seek to push back against? (1960s and 1970s advances in
what?)
The Equal Rights Amendment
Roe vs Wade
Phyllis Schlafly and the 1980s feminist backlash
Second wave feminism
Rachel Carson and ‘The Silent Spring’ 1962
Puritanism
Reaganism: Ronald Reagan’s presidency
Reaganism: noun, the policies or principles advocated by the former American president Ronald
Reagan.
Ronald Reagan:
Born: 6th February 1911
Died: 5th June 2004
Presidential term: 20th January 1981 – 20th January 1989 (was the 40th president of the USA, elected
at age 69)
Had a career as a Hollywood actor, then became a member of the Republican Party.
He won his 1981 election by a landslide, taking 50.7% of the popular vote with a margin of 9.7% -
highest number of electoral votes by a non-incumbent [not previously serving as President]
presidential candidate.
Ronald Reagan appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court by nominating Sandra Day
O'Connor. O'Connor was confirmed by Congress on 21 st September 1981, by a vote of 99-0.
Reagan and women:
A quote from a Rolling Stone article from 1982:
“Women, on the whole, don’t trust Ronald Reagan or especially like him, while the majority of men
still do. Women are fearful of his cowboy approach to foreign affairs, and they particularly resent his
retrograde economic policies at home.”
Reagan was married twice, and his second wife – Nancy – gave up her career as an actress because
he thought it would be financially and economically beneficial for them to only have one person
working. The Rolling Stone article said “His woman –– Nancy –– isn’t threatening. She wants only to
serve him, at least in their public performances. Everywhere they appear, she stands by his side,
beaming up at him with pride, hanging on his every word. For many men, Nancy behaves just the
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