Navigating Gilead: A Journey into "The Handmaid's Tale"

"The Handmaid's Tale" is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood. It centres around, Offred, a handmaid in the totalitarian regime of Gilead. A place where women are completely stripped of rights and forced into reproductive servitude due to widespread infertility problems. As the novel progresses, Offred struggles to hold onto her identity, reflects on her past and seeks out acts of rebellion against the oppressive nature of Gilead.

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Now lets dive deeper into Gilead!

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INTRODUCTION:

Title: The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood

Publication Date: 1985

Genre: Dystopian

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Setting:

Time: Near-Future dystopia

Place: Republic of Gilead

Key Locations: The Red Center, The Wall, The Colonies, The Commander's House, Jezebels

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Character Breakdown:

The Handmaid's:

• Wear red dresses, with white bonnets and wings to limit their view

• Objective is to reproduce and the red symbolises fertility

• Assigned to The Commander's or Angel's

• All the names given to The Handmaid's are made by adding "Of" to the name of the Commander's. E.g. Offred's name derives from 'Of Fred'

• Names of key Handmaid's in the text: Offred, Ofglen and Ofwarren

The Wives:

• Wear blue that are rich and deep in colour

• The blue represents the Virgin Mary

• They are married to The Commander's

• Responsible for keeping the household in order

• They have more freedom than The Handmaid's but it is still limited

• Serena Joy is a key representation of The Wives

The Martha's:

• Wear green uniform, but a dull colour

• The colour green can symbolise health and cleanliness

• Yet, the dullness of the green represents how they are fading into society

• They serve as domestic servants in the household

• Cora and Rita are two Martha's in the text

The Aunt's:

• Wear grey uniforms

• Responsible for overseeing the training and indoctrination of Handmaids

• They oversee births and preside over most executions

• Typically older women

• Aunt Lydia is an Aunt

The Commander's:

• Wear black

• The black was chosen because it absorbs all other colours

• They are the most powerful men in Gilead

• Head of the household

• They serve as politicians, military leader, administrators and lawmakers, working in Gilead's government

Unwomen:

• Wear grey uniform

• They wear grey to denote their lack of status

• They are women who cannot perform any female role, so are deemed less than human

• Sent to The Colonies, where they are forced into working in a labour camp

• They have the lowest social class of all women in Gilead

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Themes:

Here is a list of main themes:

• Oppression and Control

• Gender Roles

• Loss of Identity

• Manipulation of Language

• Memories and The Past

• Rebellion and Resistance

Now let's take a closer look at each...

Theme: Oppression and Control

Definition: The theme of oppression and control depicts the systematic domination of individuals to enforce compliance and maintain power.

Main points:

• Totalitarian regime

• Loss of individual rights

• Mechanisms of control (e.g. Surveillance)

Examples in the text:

• The Ceremony

• The Eyes

• Biblical references twisted to support the societal structure

• Isolation

• Limit to expression and thought

Important Quotes:

• "I hunger to touch something other than cloth or wood"

• "Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some."

• "Now and again we vary the route; there's nothing against it, as long as we stay within the barriers. A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze"

Theme: Gender Roles

Definition: Gender roles in "The Handmaid's Tale" refer to the societal expectations and restrictions placed on individuals based on their gender.

Main Points:

• Assigned societal roles

• Restrictive roles

• Critique of the patriarchy

Examples in the text:

Role Categories

• The Handmaids: Women who are forced into reproductive servitude, stripped of all freewill and expression.

• The Wives: Higher status but still controlled, serving as the domestic counterpart to the Commanders.

• The Aunts: Responsible for overseeing the training and indoctrination of Handmaids. They oversee births and preside over most executions.

• The Marthas: Tasked with the household duties.

• The Unwomen: These are women who are deemed less than human and sent to The Colonies for forced labour till they tragically die.

• Jezebels: Women who are forced into becoming sex works/ entertainers. They are only accessible to Commanders and thier guests so are essentially status symbols.

• Male Roles: These roles are rooted in the oppression of women, by reverting back to traditional. e.g. The Commander's and The Eyes.

Important Quotes:

• "There is no such thing as a sterile man anymore, not offically. There are only women who are fruitful and women who are barren, that's the law."

• "We are not each other's, anymore. Instead, I am his."

• "We are two-legged wombs"

• "sacred vessels"

Theme: Loss of Identity

Definition: The theme of loss of identity explores how the controlling regime of Gilead strips individuals of their own identities, reducing them to roles.

Main Points:

• Renaming

• Uniforms

• Past Erased

Examples in the text:

• Flashbacks: Offred has constant flashbacks to her past life about her husband, Luke, her daughter and her past job. These flashbacks to her past life are there to conflict her current position and her lack of free will.

• The Red Center: This indoctrination process is led by the Aunts. It works to strip away the handmaid's prior identities.

• The Wall: Public executions limit individuality as it works as a warning sign for those who exercise free will or rebellion.

Important Quotes:

• "My name isn't Offred, I have another name, which nobody uses now because it's forbidden"

• "we learned to lip read... in this way we exchanged names."

• "I have been obliterated for her. I am only a shadow now."

Theme: Manipulation of Language

Definition: The manipulation of language shapes thought, enforces conformity, and

defines social roles within the oppressive regime of Gilead.

Main Points:

• Biblical language

• New terminology

• Restrictions on speech: Handmaids are forbidden from reading or writing

Examples in the text:

• Silencing techniques: Public shaming and executions

• Biblical phrases: Used in daily communication to limit thoughts and free flowing conversation. Twist biblical phrases to reinforce and justify their control

• The Red Center: Strict language rules in the Center

Important Quotes:

• "Blessed be the fruit"

• "Praise be"

• "May the Lord open"

Theme: Memories and The Past

Definition: The theme of memories and the past explores how personal history shapes identity and informs the present but shows the struggle for freewill in Gilead.

Main Points:

• Flashbacks: The narrative frequently shifts between present experiences and memories to suggest the pain of the current situation

• Trauma: Characters must navigate the pain of their pasts while coping with their present circumstances

Examples in the text:

• Objects: Items from the past, such as the photo of her daughter or the memories of her home, act as symbols of what has been lost.

• Moira: Serves as a reminder of Offred's past.

• Luke: Offed remembers her past with Luke lovingly, feels anger when she cannot preserve her memory of him.

Important Quotes:

• "She remembers her daughter's old baby clothes and the lock of hair she kept as mementoes"

• "I wanted to feel Luke lying beside me... I wanted to feel Luke lying beside me, but there wasn't room"

Theme: Rebellion and Resistance

Definition: It examines the forms of rebellion and resistance against the oppressive regime of Gilead by highlighting the struggle for autonomy and the desire to reclaim personal identity in a society that seeks to control every aspect of life.

Main Points:

• Internal defiance

• Collective defiance

• Acts of defiance

  
  

Examples in the text:

• Underground Groups: Mayday

• Secret Relationships: Offred and Nick

• Memories

Important Quotes:

• "Nolite te bastardes carborandorum" ("Don't let the bastards grind you down")

• "I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light"

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Literary Devices:

Here is a list of Literary Devices used in "The Handmaid's Tale"

Flashbacks

Imagery

Allusion

Symbolism

Foreshadowing

Irony

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Structure and Form:

Structure:

Non-linear Narrative

• The non-linear narrative come from the shift between the present and Offred's memories of her past life

• Layered narrative

• This highlights the contrast between her former freedom and her current oppression

Form:

First Person Narrative

• Told in a first person narrative from Offred's point of view

• Potential hints to Offred being an Unreliable Narrator

Stream of consciousness

• A free flowing thought style from Offred's perspective

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Practice Questions:

1. What is the role of religion in this novel?

2. In what way is Offred an unreliable narrator, provide examples if possible?

3. What methods does Gilead use to maintain control over its citizens?

4. How does Gilead manipulate language to exert control?

5. What is the role of the Aunts in maintaining the system?

6. What forms of resistance do characters engage in and how effective are these forms of rebellion in challenging Gilead's authority?

7. How does the novel portray the relationships between men and women?

8. What is the significance of rituals in Gilead and how do these rituals serve to reinforce the social order, and how do characters respond to them?

9. What historical events or movements does the novel draw upon and how do these references enrich the narrative and its warnings?

10. In what ways does "The Handmaid's Tale" resonate with current societal issues? What lessons can be drawn from the novel in today's context?

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Additional Critical Commentary to Read/watch:

The Epilogue in the text: 'The Handmaid's Tale" by Atwood

"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses" - by Althusser

"Nineteen Eighty-four" - By George Orwell

'The Handmaid's Tale" (TV show)

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Now, create your own mind map of themes, characters or motifs....

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Thank you for reading! We hope this guide has sparked your interest in "The Handmaid's Tale" and encouraged you to think critically whether that be in upcoming exams, riveting revision or just general appreciation for the literary genius, Atwood!