IEB English Home language: A detailed summary and analysis of the Handmaids tale. It does include quotes and descriptions of events in the book. It is an excellent resource for anyone who needs to recall events and analyses them in order of the book.
The handmaid's tale notes on Atwood's context - A STAR
Political and social protest notes year 13
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Chapter character Quote Analysis Notes
Epilogue
Chapter 1 Offred ‘We slept in what had Pre- regime Gymnasium
once been the -gymnasium= joy and description -
gymnasium’ fun. Held dances Juxtaposition= pre
there Gilead
(Freedom)
Offred ‘We yearned for the Handmaids Pre Handmaids born into
future‘ gilead find it harder the system will adapt
to adjust to regime easily= nothing to
because of previous compare their lives to
life. Memories of
past
Offered ‘we could not talk’ Human connection is When you can’t
‘We weren’t allowed prohibited communicate there is
out’ Cut off from outside no connection
world- no others between people —>
reality but the one You are just an object
they are in
Aunt Sarah& ‘Electric cattle pods’ Woman aren’t Class structure
Aunt Elizabeth allowed guns Woman are inferior
Offred ‘We learned to Voices taken away Opportunity of
whisper almost from them physically communication
without sound’ and metaphorically doesn’t exist therefore
They are not to have it is a act of rebellion
any connection to communicate
BUT human
connection is there
only method to
survive
Chapter 2 Offered ‘I am not being She is a neccisity Her ability to
wasted’ her purpose is to reproduce is her
reproduce- nothing identity= she is not
more wasted
Offered ‘It opens partly’ She knows that the Handmaids room:
reason it won't open window doesn’t
is to prevent her open=no escape
from escaping = she
accepts this
Chapter 31 Offred ‘Memorial hall’ Women weren’t Memorial hall
‘That’s where the eyes allowed in areas of Now it is a place of
hold their banquets’ university= gender violence
discrimination pre-
Gilead
Offred & Moira ‘There’s a password’ The resistance Passwords: ‘Mayday’
‘Mayday’ movement has a and ‘Nicks hat’ =
password. secret communication
Mayday= in trouble Nicks hat ‘ascew’ =
commander signal
,Offred sees ‘She fits the skein of Serena makes her Offred feels trapped
Serena joy under wool over my two feel trapped- she is By Serena.
willow tree. hands, starts winding’. trying to bring Offred
‘I am leashed’. in to the process and
attempts to be
maternal
Serena ‘Maybe he can’t’ Serena knows that it Serena reveals that
is not Offred that is men can be infertile
the problem. and that it is not
offreds fault she isn’t
pregnant yet.
Offred ‘It’s Only women who Gilead enforces that A man cannot be
can’t, who remain it is a women’s fault. infertile, that idea
stubbornly closed, It will never be a goes against Gilead
damaged, defective.’ mans fault. System
Serena ‘Another man’ Serena is desperate She doesn’t care if it
for a child. isn’t from her own
husband
Offred ‘It’s A risk’ Offred has nothing to If she doesn’t get
‘It’s My life on the line’ lose. pregnant she dies but
if she gets caught she
dies
Serena ‘That’S how ofwarren Ofwarren was The doctor was the
did it. The wife knew pregnant with a baby father.
of course’ from another man
Serena ‘I would help you. I Serenas power This decision could
would make sure enables her to help save Offreds life but it
nothing went wrong’ Offred. She trusts could also destroy it.
‘I was thinking of Nick’ Nick
Serena ‘We just won’t tell Serena is rebelling She is motivated by
him, will we?” against the regime her own desires for a
Offred ‘All right’ ‘yes’ She will not tell the child
commander= Offred and Serena are
alliance colluding
Offred agrees
Serena ‘A picture’ Serena is Collusion changes as
‘Your little girl, but blackmailing her by Serena is blackmailing
only maybe giving her something her. Offred is angry
Offred desires most that Serena kept this
from her.
Offred ‘I can’t let go of this Offred wants to get She is always thinking
hope’ in contact with her of her daughter.
child so badly
Serena ‘Find yourself a match’ Serena is saying they Handmaid’s aren’t
are in this together allowed matches
Serena is trying to
bribe her again
, Chapter 32 Offred to Rita ‘Could I have a Offred goes to get a Serena lets offred
match?’ ‘She said I match (she is in smoke as another way
could have one’ control) to bribe her further.
Offred ‘She plunges her big Serena has given Rita is worried Offred
hand, selects a match, Offred power will burn down the
hands it over to me.’ house—> Handmaids
aren’t allowed
matches
Offred ‘I could burn the Offred has thoughts She could kill the
house down’ of self harm household And escape
Offred and ‘He becomes silly’ There is now a After a few drinks he
commander Casualness in their becomes more
relationship- they confident and says
are comfortable things he doesn’t
mean
Offred and ‘He wishes to explain Commander explains He says there was
commander things, justify himself’ why gilead created ‘nothing to fight for’
‘The problem wasn’t Men were bored and ‘Men were turning off
only with the women’ had no use for on sex’
‘The main problem women. They had Men lost emotion
was with the men’ access to sex so because it was just for
‘There was nothing for easily. pleasure, not intimacy.
them’ ‘The sex was too Men lacked emotion
easy’
Offred ‘Do they feel now?’ Commander agrees Juxtaposes the
Commander ‘Yes they do’ with the system ceremony. The act of
because he believes intimacy doesn’t exist.
that men feel more There is less feeling
now. than before. Ironic: his
relationship with
Serena is emotionless
Commander ‘You must have an He interrogates her the commander is
opinion’ ‘I’m because he feels trying to find
Interested in your guilty reassurance from
opinion’ Offred that he did the
right thing
Commander ‘You can’t make an Gilead is better for Commander never
omelette withiut no one. Some are mentions why Gilead
breaking eggs’ always going to exists; he doesn’t even
‘Better never means suffer for end mention religion once.
better for everyone, it product to be His only explanation is
always means worse achieved to help men manage
for some.’ sexual desires.
Offred talking ‘The way you could Previous Handmaid She hung her self
about previous swing’ ‘she was safe’ is safe from the therefore she escaped
Handmaid regime this oppression
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