The SITM English Cheat Sheet
Handmaids tale and The Tempest
Handmaids Tale 2
Quotes 2
Relationships 2
Themes 2
The Tempest 2
Handmaids Tale: 3
Key Ideas: 3
Questions: 3
Quotes: 3
Relationships: 3
Themes: 3
Essay Intro Bullets For Thought: 3
E1: 3
The Tempest 4
Handmaids Tale 5
Quotes 5
Relationships 5
Themes 5
The Tempest 5
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Andrew’s Notes
Handmaids Tale
Quotes
“There is more than one kind of freedom… Freedom to and Freedom from.” - Aunt Lydia
- Aunt Lydia suggests that these freedoms are exclusive. Women in Gilead do not
have freedom to love, marry, work or procreate but they are free from obscenities,
catcalls, and violence.
“If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending.” - Offred
- Admission of the fact that it is a story, shows her control over her life.
“A rat in a maze is free…, as long as it stays inside the maze.” - Offred
- The Gileadan regime grants its people the illusion of freedom. Her walk, her room,
her role in society as a handmaid is a maze of confinement. Her decisions about
whether to walk to the wall, or the church grants the illusion of freedom within her
confinement.
“Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse, for some.” - The
commander
- Commander believes the society he created is an improvement but admits it is only
better for some.
“There's hardly any point in my thinking, is there?” - Offred
- Sharing her opinion may prove risky, while deflection may keep herself safe and
keep him talking. Women are not a danger in Gilead because they have no original
thought of their own.
Symbols
Colours
The strict colour coding serves as a constant visual reminder of the rigid caste system in Gilead,
reinforcing the roles and hierarchies at play. At the same time, these colours resonate with deeper
meanings, adding layers of interpretation to the characters.
- Red (Handmaids)
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- Symbolises fertility, which is their primary role. It also represents danger, blood
(menstrual or birth related), and the sexual sins they are assumed to have
committed.
- Blue (Wives)
- Traditionally associated with the virgin mary, suggesting purity, loyalty and
tranquillity. It distinguishes the Wives as being above the Handmaids in status and
reflects their role as barren, faithful companions.
- Black (Commanders and ‘Eyes’)
- Symbolises power, authority, and mystery. The Eye’s role as the secret police
watching the citizens adds an ominous undertone to this colour.
The ‘Eyes’
- The eyes of god are Gilead’s secret police. Their name and symbol (an eye) symbolise the
eternal watchfulness of God and the totalitarian state. There are places where the eyes do
not extend, Jezebels or the commander's office, this creates a tension between the seen
and unseen.
Themes
Complacency
- Atwood suggests that people will endure oppression if given minor concessions of power
or freedom. Offred's mother says “Truly amazing what people can get used to, as long as
there are a few compensations.” Despite the contrast between offred's previous freedoms
and current confinement, her relationship with Nick provides a semblance of her previous
life, making her oppression bearable. This temporary satisfaction causes her to ignore
Ofglen’s requests for information about the commander.
- Women often perpetuate Gilead’s regime by actively participating in it. Serena Joy,
although powerless in the larger patriarchal society, relishes her dominance over Offred at
home. The aunts aid the state's oppressive regime.
- Atwood criticizes characters like Offred, Serena Joy, and others for their complacency. She
implies that even if they resisted, their efforts might be in vain in Gilead. Offred’s escape is
attributed more to chance than resistance.
Identity
- Stripping of Identity
- Onset of the regime, women were stripped of their former identities. They lost
their jobs, right to read, their names etc. Their names changing to 'Of’ followed by
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their commander's name signals her status as his property. Her real name is never
mentioned in the book, emphasizing the loss of her personal identity.
- Imposition of New Identities
- The state of Gilead imposes strict roles on their citizens based on gender and social
standing, which come with new identities. You are brought down to simply your
societal role and nothing more. The aunts are responsible for indoctrinating the
Handmaid’s into their new roles, their new identities, using religious and
ideological teachings in combination with manipulation and violence.
- Memory and Past Identity
- Offred frequently revisits her past life, her family, her identity before Gilead took it
from her. These memories serve as a form of resistance, a way for Offred to
maintain a connection with her true self
- The Ambiguity of Identity
- The novel ends ambiguously, with Offred’s fate uncertain. The epilogue, set many
years later, discusses Offred’s story from an academic perspective, highlighting the
challenges of reconstructing personal identities from fragmentary records.
- The conclusion forces the reader to reflect on the transient nature of identity and
how it can be shaped, reshaped, and interpreted differently.
Imprisonment
- Physical Imprisonment
- Red Center
- Before becoming a Handmaid, women are indoctrinated in ‘The Red
Center’. The institution serves as a literal prison where women are taught
their new roles.
- The Handmaid's Uniforms
- The red habit, white wings, and bonnet not only mark Handmaid's out for
their distinctive role but also restrict their vision and movement, making
the world outside seem distant and muffling their interactions.
- Housing Compounds
- The homes, specifically the commanders, are like gilded cages. The
Handmaids are watched by the ‘eyes’ as well as the ‘Marthas’ and ‘Wives’.
They have limited freedom and are only allowed to leave for specific
reasons in pairs.
- Psychological Imprisonment
- Loss of Identity
- (Mentioned prior) Women in Gilead are stripped of their names, a
fundamental aspect of individual identity. This dehumanisation is a form of
psychological captivity, forcing them to detach from their past selves.
- Constant Surveillance
