Handmaid's Tale possible questions

Handmaid's Tale possible questions

1. OFFglen - part of the rebellion and introduces her to MAYDAY, and it is REPORTED that she hangs herself - represents the limitation of speech, gossip and infantalisation from the regime as they do not tell the handmaids. 'It's a beautiful May day' on their first walk together, 'waiting for a reply', 'Help me' -- foreshadowing. Her future willingness to join the underground resistance

   • Mayday -- Ch8, pg 49
   • Walk, wall -- ch6, pg37 to pg39

2. MOIRA - a symbol of women's freedoms in the time before and unconventional rebellion, for example her (presumably) homosexuality and also shows contrast of how 'girlhood' has changed. She escapes the red centre

   • School time before -- ch7, pg43
   • Waterbombs -- ch10, pg64
   • Toilet stall -- Ch13, pg79
   • Back to toilet stall -- Ch15, pg96
   • Hauled out -- Ch15, pg98
   • Story of her violence in bathroom -- Ch22, pg136, pg139 :)

3. SERENA JOY - The commanders wife, so top of the heirchy almost. Patriarchy's 'perfect' woman. Except is a smoker openly. Of higher authority above the Aunts/Martha's. She's controlling and manipulates Offred by the mannerisms of her smoking, quiet brutality and her possession of the picture of Offreds daughter. We have some sympathy for her as she is a woman, however she is crude to the handmaids and calculated. Strong sense of her OWN desires, such as the 'ceremony' with Nick, however it does also appeal to Offred. She uses a high frquency of directives and declerations

   • Rude meeting with her -- Ch3, pg21
   • Speechless -- ch8, pg52
   • Meeting/TV -- Ch14, pg88
   • Ceremony -- Ch16, pg101. Think sixteen = sex. Pg102 significant

4. THE COMMANDER - the enforcer of Gilead, however he is hypocritical and goes against the regime himself. A position of power yet ignores their own enforced rules - Boris Johnson during lockdown who had a party

   • First odd encounter -- ch8, pg55
   • Gathering -- Ch15, pg93
   • First MEETING with scrabble -- Ch23, pg142

5. NICK - her own sexual rebellion, experiencing pleasure that is banned

   • Desire -- Ch3, pg27
   • Him speaking to her -- ch8, pg51
   • Meeting in sitting room -- Ch17, pg105

6. LUKE

   • What she believes -- Ch18, pg110

7. HER MOTHER - represents radical feminism by burning porn and bra's. Antithesis to Serena joy's domestic feminism. Becomes an unwoman in the colonies. She was a rebel, an activist and a protestor. Her clothing is not considered 'appropriate'. Tense changes to present, she is becoming more familiar with her now :)

   • Link to Moira's rebellion too
   • Activist memories -- ch7, pg44
   • The film -- Ch20, pg125

8. AUNT LYDIA / ELIZEBETH

   • Oiling themselves -- ch10, pg61
   • Pelvic floor/Nap -- Ch13, pg76
   • Risk/dangerous -- Ch19, pg119

9. OffWARREN / JANINE - the first handmaid in the novel to have a child, she's met the 'reward' of never becoming an unwoman and is the first example we see of the BIRTH DAY and how the regime is implimented during this ceremony. Acts as a role model for the rest of the women, someone to look up to. She's purely a vessel/symbol of the 'perfect' handmaid, nothing in relation to HER individually. Gilead is positioning her as a role model. She is living in the same timeline as Offred.

   • While at the red centre, she has her eye gouged out and was gang raped in the time before -- which the Aunts proceed to publically shame her for at the Red Centre. Her child Angela later becomes classified as a 'shredder'. In the novel, her fate is not clear. Illustrates ambigious rules
     • Rape/blaming -- Ch13, pg77
     • Birth day -- Ch21, pg128

10. HER DAUGHTER

    • Stolen in shop -- Ch12, pg69
    • Age -- Ch12, pg70
    • Forest running -- Ch13, pg81
    • Teddies -- Ch14, pg90

11. -- OFFRED -- she is our homodiagetic narrator, sometimes unreliabile with the inconsistency of chronology and validity of the 'stories'. She experiences the regime first-hand and. Relevant to mention her 'stories' via the historical notes as her female voice, doesn't hold enough validity so they are retold/presented by a MALE in the historical notes. Suggesting the patriarchal society still exists. Also considering the 'Chair' / hostess is a female is significant because she fits into the typical 'warming' role

    • Criticising Offglen -- Ch4, pg25
    • Walk seeing pregnant Offwarren-- ch5, pg32
    • Tourists -- ch5, pg34
    • Prize pig -- Ch13, pg75
    • Review of herself -- Ch24, pg149

12. HISTORICAL NOTES

    • Collection of episodes, some not in order
    • The male SPEAKER seems detached, he has not experienced this oppression before

13. Rita

    • Shopping back -- ch8, pg53
    • Resentment food -- Ch12, pg71
    • Cora
      • Egg drop tray/ cupboard -- Ch25, pg156

14. The Time Before - Broad

    • Ciggarette -- ch10, pg62
    • Nakedness/bath -- Ch12, pg68
    • Old house -- Ch13, pg80
    • Films/unwomen -- Ch20, pg124
    • Documentary -- Ch24, pg150

15. Doctor. All of Ch11