(HMT) Structure and Methods Of Narration

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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 feminist novel bu has refused to provide a neat ending and instead left her readers with an additional mystery, which she underscored with her final word: 'Are there any questions?

Non-Chronological Time Sequence

In 'Historical Notes' Professor Pieixito points out that Offered would have had no access to a recording machine while she was a handmaid, so her narrative must be put together at a later date from her memories.

Even without the 'Historical Notes, we are left with no doubt that Atwood wants to make sure that we see her narrative as a construct, one way she does this is to play with the time sequence.

7/15 sections are 'Night' and at these times Offred mentally escapes from the present environment into her own mind. Reliving past events these flashbacks also enable Offred to show us the sharp contrast between the 'time before' and the current situation.

Deferred and Withheld Information

The novel is in first person so we can only know and experience what Offred knows experiences and remembers. Since Offred cannot record her ideas and experiences as she has them- because writing is forbidden in Gilead- we cannot assume that her memories are meant to be accurate.

Letting the reader supposed that Offred tells us only what comes into her mind at any particular time allows Atwood to increase suspense by delaying the telling of crucial facts.

For example in the first chapter it opens with an unnamed narrator speaking of an unknown group- 'we'- in a strange and undefined situation, controlled by 'Aunts who seem anything but typically aunt like and Angels carrying guns.

Different Versions Of Events

To emphasis it is a construct, for example, Offred thinks about stabbing the Commander but then says she doesn't

Different voices