The Handmaid’s Tale 

The Handmaid's Tale, originally published in 1985, is a dystopian novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. It is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian state resembling a theonomy that overthrows the United States government. 

Characters

Main Characters’ early description

Offred:

Physical description

• Dressed in red (a color for all the Handmaids, signifies fertility).
• Never states her real name, apart from the very first chapter when reciting the names of the women, who were in the Red Center. with her, “Alma, Janine, Dolores, Moira, June”. From this, we can make an assumption that June is indeed her real name.
• Brown hair, stands about five foot seven, and is 33 years old.
• Before Gilead, she had a daughter with Luke.

Throughout the novel, we notice that Offred is hiding her thoughts quite often, so it is very hard to understand what she is really thinking sometimes. She is full of memories of her life before Gilead, and her observations and honest emotions have shown that sometimes even the system like this can be powerless over its subjects.

Serena Joy:

Physical description

Now:

• Dressed in a blue robe.
• Eyebrows plucked making her look inquisitive.
• Hostile blue eyes.
• Nose once cute now too small for her face.
• Tired looking eyelids.

Before:

• Ash blond & petite.
• Huge blue eyes.

S.J. is hostile in the description but also in interaction, for example, when she says "you give me trouble, I give you trouble back". She is also very possessive of her husband as is shown in the quote: "as for my husband …. final".   Particularly "perfectly clear" & "till death do us part" shows that S.J. will not accept anything from Offred except why she is there.

The Commander:

Physical description

• Wears black + black umbrella.
• Stays in his quarters most of the time.
• "It could mean attack…was he invading?"

The Commander can be said to have an air of secrecy(mystery) around him, for example, he hardly ever leaves his quarters when at home. He is also described as potentially aggressive as it is seen at the end of chapter 8 in which Offred describes him as being potentially ready to "attack" and asks herself the question of whether he was "invading". Both words implying hostility & a person of fear.

Nick:

Physical description

• Believed to be an Eye by Offred.
• “French face, lean, whimsical, all planes and angles, with creases around the mouth where he smiles.”

We don’t know his real motivations behind his actions. He is a risk-taker, he does not care about the others in the society, he is someone Offred is attracted to. Since Offred tells us a lot of things indirectly, we have to resolve some things ourselves. Ex: She wants to know how this guy is smelling, hence she wants to be close to him. Nick and Offred are prompt to have a relationship, and it is obvious from the early pages. He is considered trustworthy by the Commander and Serena Joy, but still can be considered quite a mysterious character, as we don’t really get the chance to know his real thoughts, as Offred struggles with it as well.

Character development

• Ofglen and Cora at first seem they have completely conformed to Gilead society yet turn out to be like-minded in that they, in fact, are quite rebellious in nature.
• Offred hides at the start of the novel (even from herself/the audience she addresses) but as the story evolves what lies beneath slowly revealed. Additionally, at the start, there seems to be little hope in her, yet this grows as events evolve, supported by her knowledge of life before Gilead.
• The Commander goes from mysterious and powerful - almost God-like character to one we dislike once he takes Offred to Jezebel's. There are additional moments of sympathy when, for example, he asks Offred to kiss him as she meant it, as in Gilead romantic notions like this shouldn't exist.
• Serena Joy goes from being perceived as bitter and angry to a woman who is desperate for a child to a point where she would lie to her husband about who the baby's father is.
• Ofwarren is introduced as an unsympathetic character, however, through the reveal of her backstory (particularly the gang rape for which she is blamed by the aunts), she becomes more relatable. The treatment she receives combined with her ability to manipulate the system makes her come across as slightly unhinged and at times psychopathic.
• Moira exists mainly in Offred's memories in the NIGHT sections as a symbol of freedom before Gilead combined with memories of the Red Centre from which she escaped. The reader's perception of her changes once she is discovered to work at Jezebel's. In many ways, she is as trapped in the Gilead system as Offred is, though Moira would consider herself freer than a handmaid.

Themes in the Handmaid’s Tale

1. Sexism has detrimental effects on society.
2. Freedom and the right to an opinion are valuable goods.
3. Religious extremism can be dangerous.
4. Be kind to one another even in difficult times.
5. Religious fundamentalism undermines freedom of expression.

A tie between characters and themes

Theme	Character	Connection
Freedom and the right to an opinion are valuable goods	Ofwarren	In the gymnasium, she was forced to confess her sins (as perceived by Aunt Lydia) but she is unwilling to say it as such. As a result, she is punished for something that is not her fault
	Moira	Moira is closely associated with that theme. Even though she is trapped in the system of Gilead like everybody else, she stills tries to get at least a bit of freedom - she prefers to work at Jezebel's rather than be a handmaid, as there is a bit more freedom there. She is the person that will never come to terms with her situation and give up. She always desperately tries to escape realising that it might cost her life, she thinks it is better to at least try and get out than to live under that regime.
Religious extremism can be very dangerous	Entire society by the Handmaids in particular	Suppression of their freedom, the rape in the form of a Ceremony, future uncertainty, and suicide
Religious fundamentalism undermines freedom of speech	Commander	This is seen in the effects on every character the Commander comes into contact with, for example, the fashion magazines he shows Offred are illegal in Gilead, yet his way of trying to seduce Offred. They are symbolic of how his suppression affects everyone and everything. The Commander himself is also affected by the very rules he helped set up.
	Offred	Offred is the victim of this regime, she, just like every other woman in Gilead, is not allowed to read, to dress however she wants, to work, and so on…
Sexism has detrimental effects on society	Ofwarren	When she talks about being gang-raped and is subsequently blamed by other women, rather than comforted, the actual perpetrators go free. The encouragement of women shaming each other only furthers the detrimental effects of the rape on Ofwarren.

An important note on the organization of the novel

Offred thinking on language (p.21)

Reading the novel attentively, you might have noticed that sometimes Margaret Atwood writes specific words italicized. The significance of this is discussed below.

• • Here are used to represent words others use.
  • Makes the words stand out.
• • A word used regularly without thinking about it.
  • There is a distinct emphasis put on it.
  • Emphasizes the inequality of men vs. women.
• Language to think about the past.
• All italicized words represent an idea or a way of thinking that would be frowned upon in Gilead.

 Examples:

Fraternize - to behave like a brother. To behave like a sister - Sororize.

I think the reader's attention is brought so we could reflect upon this particular statement because when it comes to think about it, is there an actual difference between behaving like a sister or a brother. I would, for example, never distinguish between those two. It emphasizes the inequality of men & women (women are not allowed to use language at all --> not even words in the supermarket but only pictures of the things you could buy)

Stillborn, it was. Or, Stabbed her with a knitting needle, right up in the belly. Jealously, it must have been, eating her up. Or, tantalizingly, It was a toilet cleaner she used. Worked liked a charm, though you'd think he'd of tasted it. Must've been that drunk; but they found her out all right.

A wife killing a handmaid… A handmaid killing a commander… Offred tells us how the whole society she lives; already after 20 pages we read about killing someone with toilet cleaner, which is referring to the fact that hard suítuations are not of a seldom occurrence in this society.

The significance of colors

All the handmaids wear red:

• Red signifies their fertility. It also implies that their main duty is to function as reproductive organs, as it is the color of menstrual blood. On top of that, the Handmaids wear white wings to cover their faces which symbolizes their purity and innocence. It is also believed that red means power, rebellion, and aggression.

All the wives wear blue: 

• It is the most prestigious color worn by women, it is a royal color that highlights their status. It is very contradicting/ironic that the wives wear blue, as it the color of virgin Mary, and means purity and fertility - qualities that the wives don't possess. Blue is also seen as the cold color, which represents the wives' attitude towards the Handmaids.

All the Marthas wear green:

• It is not an authoritative color, which puts the Marthas in a lower class. Green represents the jealousy Marthas feel towards the Handmaids, as the latter ones are able to have children. Green symbolizes nature, and the dull green that Marthas wear might mean their dying fertility and dying nature.

All econwives wear mixed colors:

• It implies that they have different functions and are of little value to Gileadian society.

All Commanders wear black:

• Black represents power and authority. It also shows position, as well as elegance. It is quite possible black is used to emphasize the evilness of the Commanders as the creators of Gilead. Black also signifies mystery.

Freedom to & freedom from

Freedom to means making your own choices. In the context of “The Handmaid’s Tale” it is talking to others, going to wash your own clothes, go running. All of it is now unavailable to women.

Freedom from means freedom from specific behaviors of people e.g people are not allowed to whistle at women, they are not being catcalled on the streets, they are not being touched unwantedly.

An important question to ask oneself:

What type of society would I prefer to live in? With freedom to do things or freedom from something?

Things to consider when answering:

• Does having only freedom to mean social Darwinism?
• Many laws that exist nowadays are part of "freedom from".
• Historically, we mostly prefer the freedom to (having choices), but we also need "freedom from" in some parts of our life.
• If everybody has the "freedom from", then who has the freedom to? Does having "freedom from" require others having "freedom to"?

The tone throughout the novel

Page number	Quote(s)	Tone/explanation
Page 35	"dying, said Aunt Lydia, of too much choice"   "They wore blouses with buttons down the front that suggested the possibilities of the word undone. These women could be undone; or not. They seemed to be able to choose. We seemed to be able to choose, then. We were a society dying, said Aunt Lydia, of too much choice."	Undone is italicized, it means unfinished, failed. Women back then had a choice either to succeed or fail.
Page 36	"One of them was vastly pregnant: her belly under her loose garment, swells triumphantly"	It shows jealousy associated with times when a Handmaid manages to get pregnant.
Page 37	"I'll tell it to the Marthas; it is the kind of thing they enjoy hearing about.	Judgemental. It also shows that the fawning is really nothing out of place in this society, as Offred is trying to do something to please the Marthas, who are in a higher position of power than her.
Page 38	"I used to dress like that. That was freedom, Westernized, they used to call it.	Someone from the far East is Westernized, so the roles are switched.
Page 39	"Modesty is invisibility, said Aunt Lydia. Never forget it. To be seen - to be seen - is to be - her voice trembled - penetrated. What you must be, girls, is impenetrable. She called us girls."   "There is a silence. But sometimes it's as dangerous not to speak.   “Yes, we are happy,' I murmur. I have to say something. What else can I say?"	Invisible is equated to impenetrable "violation", "penetrated", "forbidden", "hidden", "black" "dangerous to speak". All of those imply VULNERABILITY.
Page 40	"We already know which way we are going to take, because we always take it"	First, she says they have a choice, but then she says they always take the same route. There is an illusion of choice created.
Page 42	"There must have been a Men's Salvaging early this morning. I didn't hear the bells. Perhaps I've become used to them.	She is trying to not conform to the rules throughout the book, but here we can see that this world is becoming a part of her, just like she is a part of it.
Page 43	"What we are supposed to feel towards these bodies is hatred and scorn. This isn't what I feel.	The main character is disconnected from the group. She is not something she is supposed to be.
Page 49	"There's always someone else. Even when there is no one."   "Tell, rather than write, because I have nothing to write with and writing is in any case forbidden"   "It isn't a story I'm telling" "It's also a story I'm telling"	Her hope is that one day there will be the time when her isolation ends and she is able to tell someone her story. Because it is only a story of you tell it to someone. The book not internally consistent in its logic because she was not allowed to write but still the book is completely written in present.  She is trying to convince herself  "It isn't a story I'm telling" BUT "It's also a story I'm telling" It is a story about her own life, but there is nobody around to hear it, apart from herself or the people she created in her mind (when appealing with the pronoun YOU)

Ceremonies

Comparing 2 chapters

Chapter 16 (the night of the ceremony)	Chapter 17 (in the kitchen with Nick)
·       Extremely out of the ordinary ·       Offred without choice ·       Human emotion suppressed & cut off ·       Commander seen as dispassionate and without secrets ·       Focus purely on the room, and what is happening there and then.	·       Almost completely normal, everyday start ·       Offred does something of her own choice ·       Human emotions and desire ·       Commander seen as having wants and having secrets, going against the rules ·       Thoughts of the future, there may be life after all this.

Choice

Choice - a moral decision to act in a certain way as opposed to all other presented alternatives.

The way Offred describes the Ceremony is impersonal, impatient, and almost has a sense of nostalgia for the past. This can be seen in language choices such as:

"What he is fucking is the lower part of my body"

This is because she is referring to her own body as something disconnect to her. Also, the verb used here in contrast with all other descriptions of the act, which emphasizes the lack of passion.

"Kissing is forbidden. This makes it bearable"

The word "bearable" with its implications of just being able to stand it, highlights the fact that this in no way romantic for Offred particularly as "kissing" is usually seen as an expression of romance.

Ceremony 1:

• Represents the Handmaid's life and shows the disconnect of what a relationship should be like.
• The role of choice: the contrast of us seeing her as having no choice vs Offred considering it a choice.
• Both Offred - the Handmaid - and Serena Joy - the wife suffer.
• Offred's description of the act is that it is not making love, etc. but fucking. (litotes)

Ceremony 2:

• The tone is conflicted, guilty, yet still impersonal
  • Words: intruder, impersonal, conflicted, embarrassed, risk, bliss, shy, guilty, compunction, irritated.

Scrabble

Zygote - a science term that signifies the first stage of development of the new organism. It is a fertilized egg cell. Symbolic of the reason Offred is there in the begin with. Zygote shows that the sole purpose of sex now is procreation.

Quince - Adam & Eve. Biblical allusion - forbidden fruit. It is a fruit that brought sin (supposedly, because no-one knows whether it was an apple, a pear or a quince).

Larynx - voice box, symbolic of the women's lack of speech. Offred is now allowed to express herself (ironic).

Valence - curtain at the top of the window, symbolic of concealing, being out of sight. The images Offred describes during the Ceremony.

Limp - action without energy, emphasizes that what happens during the Ceremony and how Offred experiences it. It refers to walking with difficulty, which symbolizes that women are not allowed the freedom of movement and actions.

Gorge - to stuff oneself. Now that Offred has the opportunity to use words and express herself, she will take as much as she can from it. It also signifies a narrow rocky valley - Offed is walking a thin line, a dangerous path when she is visiting the Commander.  

IX Night

Some stylistic devices in this part

1. Metaphors
   1. Lead them around by the nose.
   2. Men are sex machines.
2. Similes
   1. Your own skin like a map, a diagram of futility.
   2. Like the golden mottoes over the Saints.
   3. Through the curtains gauzy as a bridal dress, as ectoplasm.
3. Repetitions
   1. It could be important, it could be a passport, it could be my downfall.
   2. I need to be earnest about it, I need to ponder it.
4. Euphemisms
   1. This is one of the most bizarre things that’s happened to me, ever.
5. Analogies
   1. But that’s where I am, there’s no escaping it. Time’s a trap, I’m caught in it.
   2. The whole analogy about the mistress, the Jewish maid.
6.  Allusions
   1. Concentration camps, Holocaust & second World War.

The analogy of the woman who had an affair with a Nazi Camp Commander

Offred's view of the Commander has shifted after the Scrabble game. She now sees him as more than just the master of the household. In the analogy, Offred states "How easy is it to humanize someone" when speaking of the Camp Commander. There is a clear connection of her and the Commander. Offred herself can be seen as Commander's mistress. She is just there for his amusement. This analogy, therefore, appears at this point because it is when Offred starts visiting the Commander in his office, she is starting being his "mistress".

Jezebel’s

Origin: Jezebel is a queen of Israel who tempted her husband away from God to worship the God of the underworld.

The death of Jezebel

Modern-day usage: An angry, cunning, shameless woman often associated with loose morals.

Why used in the book:

• Biblical allusion. Name of the nightclub the Commander takes Offred to.
• It could allude to Offred as she has sex with both the Commander and with Nick while technically still married to Luke
• All Commanders go there to not be with their wives.
• It is generally associated with women, therefore the men are implicitly absolved of any blame.
• Could refer to Moira. The first impression of her is one of rebellion, someone who wants to thwart the system. And for a long time, we as readers see her like this, as well as she successfully escaped from the Red Centre.

Romance

What is it associated with:

1. Lust
2. Love
3. Desire
4. Intimate relations
5. Reciprocal
6. Traditionally between two people, but is in no way restricted to it.
7. Excitement
8. Passion
9. Chemistry
10. Emotion

Do Nick and Offred have a romance?

Yes

• A lot of terms we associate with romance are applicable.
• The mutual agreement to find some excitement & intimacy with each other is real.
• The later encounters do have a feeling of it just being the two of them to it.

No

• The way it started is Serena Joy telling them to sleep together so Offred can get pregnant.
• The way Offred describes it does not reflect the reality of it, "I did not do it for him, but for myself entirely."
• We have no idea what Nick feels during any moment of the novel.

Commander’s take on romance

"Those years were just an anomaly."

     An anomaly usually refers to a deviation from the norm or a standard. So, when the Commander is saying that phrase, he already thinks that there is or there should be some sort of a rule that everyone should abide by, and that his opinion is representative of that rule. The thought of him being right is so strongly integrated into his head, he thinks it is the only appropriate way to go around things.

"The husband might just get fed up and take off"

     The fault is not on the husband. It implies that women have driven him to leave, which reveals a lot about the Commander's views of women/marriage.

"Ignorant women", "wretched little paycheck"

     It reinforces that he sees Gilead's way of life as the best one. His rule of "little" for example minimizes the importance of women being independent.

The historical notes

• It adds context to the story as well as an ending to the story for Offred & Gilead.
• The mood is formal & academic which contrasts sharply with Offred's first-person narrative.
• The end of Gilead - knowing it ended also juxtaposes the feeling we have had throughout the novel where Offred felt trapped.

"I warn against judgment against Gilead as they have a cultural bias."

Has this kind of society actually existed?

• Authoritarian dictatorship:
  • North Korea, Romane, etc all have or have had this.
  • Many if not all European countries up to the 20th century.
• Theological authoritarianism:
  • Europe - Inquisition.
  • Colonial US
• Punishment of women:
  • Salem witch trials (new Boston).
  • Stoning
  • FGM
• Women forced with men not of their choosing:
  • Arranged marriage/forced marriage.
  • Child marriage.
  • Sex trafficking.
  • Prostitution.
  • Loverboys.
• Declining birthrates:
  • Smaller families.
  • Women working.
  • No longer a societal expectation.
  • Education
  • Women have children when older.

If you are looking at "The Handmaid's Tale" from the intertextuality area of exploration point of view, it is worth looking at the TV series produced by HULU. Or just watch it for fun, it is a very cool show, although don't do it instead of reading the book, as they are quite different in terms of timeline and even the plot!

View count: 12730