The Handmaid’s Tale

Themes

Characters

Narrative techniques

Language and Imagery

Themes Control and Resistance Survival Responsibility Fertility Power Women’s Roles Religion The Individual Guilt History Love

Quotations “Such songs are not sung any more[…] This too is

outlawed.” (ch.10)

“They’ve defeated more of the rebels” (ch.4)

“I want to keep on living in any form.” (ch.45)

“Neither of us says the word love, not once. It would be tempting fate” (ch.41)

Utopias and Dystopias

Imaginary good or bad societies that are created in order to comment on distinctive features and trends of a real society.

“Imaginary places and accordingly futile to seek out, that nevertheless exist tantalisingly (or frighteningly) on the edge of possibility”¹

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¹ Krishan Kumar, Utopianism (london:OUP, 1991).

Narrative techniques

Emphasis on process and reconstruction where the truth is only a matter of the teller’s perspective. Her narrative is a DISCONTINUOUS one, with frequent time shifts, short scenes and unfinished ending.

“Offred was boxed in. How do you tell a narrative from the Point of View of that person? The more limited you are, the more important details become.” (Conversations, p.216)

Narrative techniques Abrupt shifts from one scene to another and

from present to past so that her present situation and past history are only gradually revealed.

Fragments and flashbacks - the latter is more noticeable in “Night” sections. This works as a period of reflection for Offred

Offred also tells the story of other women, like her own mother, Moira, Janine and even her predecessor at the commander’s house.

Narrative techniques

Offred tells the story of other Handmaids, all of them rebels or victims or both, which form a sad subtext to Offred’s narrative.

The ghostly double: “How could I have believed I was alone in here? There were always two of us. Get it over, she says” (ch.46)

Narrative TechniquesHistorical Notes

The ‘Historical notes’ are not part of Offred’s narrative but they are used as a supplement to her story, helping us to put one woman’s autobiographical record into historical perspective.

Male narrator (Professor Pieixoto). University of Denay, Nunavit. Here men

and women have some status (Chair is a woman, Maryann Crescent Moon)

Narrative TechniquesHistorical Notes

At the conference what are the things that suggest that things are different from the Gilead?

What are the things that suggest that nothing has changed?

Narrative TechniquesHistorical Notes

Nature walks and eat fish (Artic char). Names suggest ethnical minorities have the

same status as everybody else. Chair is a woman.

HOWEVER Professor Pieixoto’s jokes (“tail” and the

“frailroad”). Sexist. He tries to discredit her narrative (shift

between “herstory” and “history”).

Narrative TechniquesHistorical Notes

Professor Pieixoto is more interested in: FIRSTLY: establishing the authenticity of

her story (tries to discredit her narrative by accusing her of not paying attention to the important things).

SECONDLY: establishing the identity of the commander.

Narrative TechniquesHistorical Notes

Ironically, he does exactly what Offred predicted would happen to the story of the Handmaids: “From the point of view of future history, we’ll be invisible”

Isn’t he abusing her as Gilead abused her by removing her authority?

Narrative Techniques

To sum up: Discontinuous narrative Time shifts Fragments and flashbacks Subtext Historical notes

RepresentationMale and Female Roles

Names and connotations Power positions Control Unwomen and unbabies