The Handmaid's Tale mind maps

Exploring The Handmaid's Tale mind maps

These maps offer different ways into the novel. The map titled The Handmaid's Tale brings together themes, motifs, symbols and characters, making it a useful starting point if you want an overview. From there, you can move to a more focused map, such as Atwood's Use of Language, Symbolism and Imagery.

For character study, Offred looks at her life before Gilead and the symbolic color white. Other maps focus on the Commander, Serena Joy and Nick. The Handmaid's Tale - Context groups ideas under cultural, literary, social, historical, political and environmental context.

Study with a map

Follow one branch at a time and try to explain its points without looking. Then return to the map to check what you missed. When you want to work through ideas in another format, switch to notes on the unit page.

Pick a map that matches the topic you are studying and follow a branch that interests you.