The Handmaid's Tale notes
21 notes by 9 users
This page gathers more than 10 community-made notes on The Handmaid's Tale, covering plot, genre, point of view and characters. They are mainly for school students studying the novel and teachers looking for material on those topics. Browse the notes and choose a starting point.
Select topic
- Historical and Social Context19
- Plot and Chapter Summaries50
- Gilead: Setting and Ceremonies5
- Offred Character Analysis20
- Characters46
- Themes29
- Identity and Individuality7
- Oppression, Control and Resistance9
- Gender and Power5
- Narrative Structure and Voice9
- Language, Imagery and Symbolism10
- Genre, Comparisons and Critical Responses8
- Key Quotations5
Notes
-
The Handmaid's Tale - Plot - Part 4/4 Chapter 37 I thought this sort of thing was strictly forbidden,” I say. “Well, officially,” he says. “But everyone’s human, after all.” Offred is shocked at what she finds in Jezebels. It is a brothel, where alcohol a...
-
The Fantasy and Dystopian Genres Genres linked with The Handmaid's Tale Dystopian - A dystopia is a society which is set in another time, usually with some sort of hierarchy, dehumanisation, totalitarian rule and other characteristics that contribute...
-
Cover Designs of The Handmaid's Tale The Ultimate Questions In aspects of textual design, the blurb, images and the use of colour, what is the balance between references to fantasy elements and references to 'the real world'? How are you being sold the i...
-
Point of View in the Handmaid's Tale How are the different characters presented and what are they like? Offred - narrator, novel is told entirely from her point of view, can see all the things she sees (and deems relevant to recount for the purposes of t...
-
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Context Additional Analysis
-
Chapter 28 Analysis of The Handmaid's Tale Characters Moira · ‘If I were Moira, I’d know how to take it apart, reduce it to its cutting edges. I have no screwdriver, but if I were Moira, I could do it without a screwdriver. I’m not Moira.’ Page 180 o Moira is ...
-
The Commander Quotes 'There's someone standing in the hall, near to the door where I stay. I can see now, it's the Commander, he isn't supposed to be here... He is violating custom.' (p. 59) Before the Ceremony takes place, there i...
-
The Handmaid's Tale - Plot - Part 2/4 Chapter 13 'But whose fault was it? Aunt Helena says...Her fault, Her fault.' Offred languishes in memory, her only means of escape. She equates herself to a prize breeding pig, fattened up and well mai...
-
The Handmaid's Tale - Plot - Part 1/4 Chapter 1 'There was old sex in the room and loneliness'. The Handmaid's Tale opens in a gymnasium, that has been appropriated by the new regime of Gilead. The gym is now part of a training academy for the handm...
-
Main Ideas Key Facts full title · The Handmaid’s Tale author · Margaret Atwood type of work · Novel genre · Anti-utopian (or “dystopian”) novel; science fiction; fe...
-
The Handmaid's Tale - Plot - Part 3/4 Chapter 25 The next morning, Cora finds Offred asleep in the closet, where she had dozed off. Cora thinks it a suicide and drops a tray in surprise. But Offred awakes and they conspire to cover the mishap. Offre...
-
Important Quotes Explained Important Quotations Explained 1. Ordinary, said Aunt Lydia, is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary. This quotation is from the end of Chapter...
-
HT Bible Project
-
Real Life Events Context The Handmaid's Tale isn't fiction anymore Abortion Laws More than 40% of women around the world aged 15-44 live in a country where abortion is highly restricted according to research by the Guttmacher Institute...
-
Interpretations and Epigraphs The Reader's Interpretations The whole structure of the novel challenges it's a reader. In the first chapter, we are plunged into a strange situation where there has clearly been an extreme change in societ...
-
(HMT) Structure and Methods Of Narration Structure and methods of narration (Handmaid Tale) The Ending Uncertainty & Lacks Believability- By adding the section of 'historical notes, therefore Atwood has not only added a final feminist commentary to her femin...
-
The Handmaid's Tale: Key Moments in the Novel The Handmaid's Tale: Key Moments in the Novel ~Offred enters the Commander’s Household for the first time ~Meet Janine, who is pregnant, whilst shopping ~Finds the words ‘nolite te bastardes ...
-
The Handmaid's Tale - Random notes/ideas Descriptions in the night chapters when revisiting Offred's past are extremely sensual - "baby powder and child's washed flesh and shampoo, with an undertone, the faint scent of urine" - whereas her descriptions of th...
-
THEMES HOPE Moira is a symbol of hope for Offred especially when she sees her in Jezebels Through frequent memories and flashbacks - In addition, the theory of escaping Gilead is portrayed throughout the novel from the...
-
Handmaid's tale
-
THMT Context Context The Canterbury Tales Written by Geoffrey Chaucer: 1387 A collection of 24 stories, 17,000 lines in middle english symbolise how though THMT is written from one perspective, it symbolises the stories of m...
More The Handmaid's Tale resources
About the handmaid's tale notes
GoConqr OriginalUsing The Handmaid's Tale notes
Start with Main Ideas for key facts and an overview of the novel. For a closer look at how the story is told, Point of View in the Handmaid's Tale considers Offred as narrator and how characters are presented.
The plot notes divide the story into parts. Other notes focus on the Commander, important quotations, biblical references and cover designs. The Fantasy and Dystopian Genres explores genre and links between the novel and real life.
Study with notes
As you read a note, write down its main points in your own words. Then return to the novel and check how those points connect to the passages you have read. Compare a plot note with a character note to see how the approaches differ.
When you want a visual overview, switch to a mind map on the unit page. When you are ready to check what you remember, try a quiz there instead. Choose a note that matches the topic you are studying.
Frequently asked questions
Which note is a useful place to start?
Main Ideas is a useful starting point if you want key facts and an overview. If you are already studying how the story is told, Point of View in the Handmaid's Tale focuses on Offred as narrator and the presentation of characters.
What do the notes cover?
The notes cover plot, genre, point of view, characters and quotations. There are also notes on biblical references, cover designs and real-life context. The plot notes divide the story into parts, while other resources offer a closer look at particular aspects of the novel.
Are the notes free to use?
Yes. Every note listed here is free to open and study without an account. The resources were made by GoConqr users rather than by GoConqr. A free account can also save quiz scores and let you make your own quizzes, mind maps, flashcards and notes.