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 ___________________________________________________________ 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 Techniques Historical 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 Techniques Historical 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 Techniques Historical 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 Techniques Historical 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 Techniques Historical 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

Representation Male and Female Roles  Names and connotations  Power positions  Control  Unwomen and unbabies