Plot and Chapter Summaries

Start with the opening

For an introduction to the plot, begin with the notes on the first part of the novel. They describe the opening in a gymnasium used as a training academy under the regime of Gilead. The chapter one mind map also looks at the gymnasium and Offred's imagined memories of its past. Reading the note first can give you a narrative starting point; the map offers another way to organize what you have read.

Follow characters and events

Move on to the slides titled Chapter Six of The Handmaid's Tale. Their overview introduces Offred and Ofglen and considers how difficult it can be to tell whether Ofglen's actions are for show. Later, the Chapter 28 Analysis of The Handmaid's Tale notes cover summary, characters, narrative style, language and themes. They include Offred's recollection of Moira's disapproval of her relationship with Luke.

Use maps to examine chapters

The chapter ten mind map brings together plot development, setting, narrative structure and literary devices. The chapter twenty-nine map also includes characters, themes and context. Compare a map with the relevant notes to see how a plot summary connects with the way a chapter is presented. This page has no quizzes, so you can turn the map headings into questions and check your answers against the resources.

Connect your reading

Plot and Chapter Summaries is one section of The Handmaid's Tale unit in Literature. The notes on later parts of the plot and the chapter synopses slides offer further places to follow the story. Use the summaries to keep track of events, then return to individual chapter maps when you want to look more closely at characters or narrative choices. Choose a chapter and explore the resources alongside it.