The Handmaids Tale By Margaret Atwood What if

“The Handmaid's Tale” By Margaret Atwood Ø What if the world around you changed? v What if you were not allowed to be you?

“The Handmaid’s Tale” -Rationale of why Atwood wrote this novel. § Author: Margaret Atwood § Year of Publication: 1985 Reality-based Fiction! v Listen to the way Atwood discusses the political connections linked to her novel. ü Atwood explains why she wrote the Dystopic novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”: § Genre: Feminist, Dystopia § Setting & Time Period: Video Clip: Mid-70’s-80’s, Republic of q https: //www. cbc. ca/book Gilead (USA), Cambridge, s/the-3 -things-that. Massachusetts inspired-margaret§ Protagonist: Offred atwood-to-write-the§ Antagonist: Gilead handmaid-s-talesociety and its affiliates, 1. 4203159 such as the Eyes, the Aunts

The World of Gilead… • What would our lives be like if we lived in Gilead? • Watch the following trailer below and step into Offred’s world. • Pre/during/post-viewing questions to consider: 1. What do you see? 2. What do you feel? 3. What do you think? q. Trailer Clip: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=d. VLi. DETf x 1 c

Relationships q As we read the novel, keep track of the following relationships and record important lines, moments, actions, events, thoughts, and dialogue that symbolize something imortant and may represent specific themes or theories (“BIG picture ideas”) in the novel. o Offred's friendship with Moira o Offred's past marriage with Luke o Offred's relationship with the Commander & wife o Offred's forbidden relationship with Nick

Major Conflicts + Themes q q q q Loss of identity, individuality Power v. s. Oppression Loss of Freedom Resistance to authority (appropriating power) Governing totalitarian power (dictatorship) vs. The Oppressed Male dominance, patriarchy The Human Experience (Individual vs. Self/Society/Other) Emotional love v. s. _____ q Survival q Search for happiness/contentment in Gilead q Desire/companionship q Rigid social order q Complacency q Subjugation of women q Cyclic nature of history q Power dynamics

Themes continued…

Key Character Traits: • Offred- intelligent, but “acts” submissive (self-preservation to survive this new dystopic reality of her), shaped by society, previously a loving mother/wife) • Serena Joy- desperate to preserve dignity, infertile, bitter • Commander- no defining characteristics (societal parody), lonely (perversion of gender stereotypes) • Luke - Offred's former husband (his second marriage; Offred was his mistress), comforting force during height of transition • Nick - cares about Offred, although it is unclear how much she reciprocates his feelings, underground subversive • Moira- foil to Offred, starts out as revolutionary, then becomes complacent (justifies complacency)

Information about Offred. . . • Offred is an intelligent woman who was once a free citizen (just like YOU). She once had a husband child before the new Gilead was taken over by a dictatorship (totalitarian political party). • Her strong sense of female identity comes in conflict with an oppressive, patriarchal society in this new world she lives in. • Now, she is forced to act as a sexual subjugate (and she experiences a loss of her own identity. She uses emotional detachment as a method of self-preservation • Subjugate Defintion: i) To bring under control and governance as a subject : conquer. ii) To make submissive : subdue.

Key Quotations “I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance. If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off” (39). (Offred's thoughts) • ----------------------------------“Nolite te bastardes carborundum” (52). Do not let the bastards grind you down. Carved by the previous Handmaid.

Key Quotations Continued. . "Are they old enough to remember anything of the time before, playing baseball, in jeans and sneakers, riding their bicycles? Reading books, all by themselves. . . Even though some of them are no more than fourteen. . . still they'll remember. And the ones after them will, for three or four or five years; but after that they won't. They'll always have been in white, in groups of girls; they'll always have been silent" (219). (At the Prayvaganza) • ----------------------------------------------“I wish this story were different. I wish it were more civilized. I wish it showed me in a better light, if not happier, then at least more active, less hesitant, less distracted by trivia. . . I wish it were about love. . . ” (267). (After Nick and Offred sleep together)

Spoiler alert… key scenes

Key Scenes Moira's escape from the Red Center Offred's evenings with the Commander When Ofglen reveals she is a member of the resistance Offred seeing the picture of her daughter Visiting Jezebel’s and seeing Moira The first time Offred sleeps with Nick "Particicution" Climax- Serena confronts Offred about Jezebels

Structure, style and form…

Author Style & Structure Point of view: First person reflective Characteristics of the Narrator: The narrator is telling a story, which often affects the way she presents the description of the events. Her fear effects the story-telling (it is a risk that could cost her life). Characterization: Mostly indirect with occasional subtle direct characterization. The narrator rarely states her own opinions and makes small observations about the physical properties of her world.

Author Style & Structure Cont. Drawing conclusions Alternates between narrator drawing conclusions for the reader and the reader having to draw his/her own conclusions. Characters' backgrounds are unclear. Where did they come from? How did they become who they are now? When Offred escapes at the end of the novel with the mysterious men she only has Nick's word that they are trustworthy. However, in the historical notes chapter, Offred's story is clarified and more conclusions are drawn for the reader. Syntax: Mix of long and short sentences. Atwood has a tendency to repeat sentence structure. Active voice. Use of metaphors. Sentence Structure: Simple in diction and varied in syntax. Sometimes very casual and diary like sentences, other times very specific and complex sentence structure. Prose Style: Efficient prose. Pensive/reflective. Social commentary. Atwood uses repetition to emphasize certain points. For example, "I wish. . . "

Author Style & Structure Cont. What is the structure of the narrative? • • The main plot is in chronological order (“modern times” rather than futuristic). However, the story is punctuated by flashbacks. The story takes place during a transitional period for Offred and the other characters (characters can remember a time before this new society of Gilead). -Add your notes here… • • • -

Author Style & Structure Cont. Does the narration seem reliable? • • Told from the POV of an oppressed Handmaid in a patriarchal society; it would be different if told from POV of a man/Unwoman/wife. Also, Offred's documentation of her experience is dangerous. Unreliable because of first person narration bias. She will tell different variations of how one thing happened. For example, Offred had three different descriptions about the first time she slept with Nick and three different ideas about what happened to Luke.

Symbolism • • Colors (red, white, blue) are significant *symbolic…. Flowers + garden Religious indoctrination Harvard (ironic use of academic setting) • -Add your contribution here… • • -