Literary form

• How many parts is The Handmaid's Tale split into?

  Fifteen parts
• What is the focus of Offred's narrative?

  All forty-six chapters
• How many chapters are in The Handmaid's Tale?

  Forty-six chapters
• Who delivers the Historical Notes section?

  Professor Piexoto
• What does the Historical Notes section provide?

  A wider historical context for Offred's narrative
• Why is Offred's narrative considered evocative?

  Despite restrictions, she tells her story
• What limitations does Offred face in Gilead?

  She is prohibited from reading and writing
• What does Atwood comment on through Offred's narrative?

  The importance of telling your story
• What does Offred question about her narrative?

  Her own reliability as a narrator
• What does Offred say about the nature of storytelling?

  It can never be exact; something is always left out
• How does Atwood blur the line between fiction and reality?

  By making Offred's narrative a construct
• Which famous unreliable narrators are mentioned?

  Nick and Holden Caulfield
• What does Nick's perspective in The Great Gatsby represent?

  An outsider's view of wealth
• What themes are explored in Frankenstein?

  Class, reproduction, and technological advancements
• What genre does The Handmaid's Tale belong to?

  Speculative fiction
• What does speculative fiction encompass?

  Science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian literature
• Name one example of speculative fiction.

  1984 by George Orwell
• What common themes are found in speculative fiction?

  Dystopia, technological advancement, and social experimentation
• How is The Handmaid's Tale split?

  Into fifteen parts denoted by Roman numerals and forty-six chapters
• What is the focus of all forty-six chapters in The Handmaid's Tale?

  Offred's narrative
• What is the only break from Offred's narrative in The Handmaid's Tale?

  The Historical Notes section
• What is the purpose of the Historical Notes section in The Handmaid's Tale?

  To reframe Offred's narrative within the wider historical context of Gilead
• What is Offred prohibited from doing in Gilead?

  Reading and writing
• Why does Offred question her own reliability as a narrator?

  Because she explains that it's impossible to recount events exactly as they happened
• What genre is The Handmaid's Tale?

  Speculative fiction
• How does Atwood's approach to speculative fiction differ from other examples of the genre?

  Atwood's approach exists much closer to reality as we know it, rather than including science fiction elements like alien life forms
• What is the source of the Biblical references in The Handmaid's Tale?

  The Book of Genesis
• How do the Biblical references in The Handmaid's Tale relate to the events in the novel?

  They provide a precedent for the situation in Gilead, such as the Ceremony being reminiscent of Rachel asking her maid Bilhah to bear children for her
• What is the meaning of the name "Gilead" in The Handmaid's Tale?

  It means "eternal happiness" in Hebrew
• How do the names of vehicles, law enforcement, and shops in Gilead relate to the Bible?

  They are all references to the Old Testament
• What is significant about Offred's use of language in The Handmaid's Tale?

  It allows her to maintain a sense of empowerment against her oppressive circumstances
• How do the historical and political events of the 1980s relate to the context of The Handmaid's Tale?

  The rise of the Christian right and conservative politicians like Reagan and Thatcher hinted at the potential for a right-wing theocracy like Gilead
• How does The Handmaid's Tale relate to the themes and devices used in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

  Both use a fictional narrative to examine issues of class, reproduction, and the social effects of rapid technological/societal changes
• What are the key structural elements of The Handmaid's Tale?

  • Split into 15 parts denoted by Roman numerals
  • 46 chapters
  • Offred's narrative is the focus of all 46 chapters
  • Historical Notes section at the end is the only break from Offred's narrative
• How does the Historical Notes section reframe Offred's narrative?

  • It provides the wider historical context of the Gilead regime that Offred was unable to give
  • It shows that Offred's story has become an important historical document, despite the restrictions on her freedom
  • It highlights the importance of telling one's story, even in the face of oppression
• How does Atwood's approach to speculative fiction differ from other examples of the genre?

  • Atwood's approach exists much closer to reality, rather than including fantastical science fiction elements
  • Atwood focuses more on social commentary and critiquing known political/social issues, rather than exploring the unknown
  • Atwood's speculative fiction is grounded in plausible extrapolations of current events and trends, rather than imagining completely alien worlds
• How do the historical and political events of the 1980s inform the context of The Handmaid's Tale?

  • The rise of the Christian right and conservative politicians like Reagan and Thatcher hinted at the potential for a right-wing theocracy like Gilead
  • The backlash against the sexual revolution of the 1960s/70s contributed to the oppressive views towards women's rights in Gilead
  • The Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the enforcement of strict Islamic dress codes for women provided a real-world precedent for Gilead's oppression of women
• How does The Handmaid's Tale relate to the themes and devices used in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

  • Both use a fictional narrative to examine issues of class, reproduction, and the social effects of rapid technological/societal changes
  • Both use a monster/oppressive regime as a metaphor for the anxieties about the treatment of marginalized groups
  • Both explore the dangers of unchecked scientific/technological progress leading to dystopian outcomes