Identity

• What is one key way Gilead maintains control?

  Taking away someone’s identity
• How does Gilead's design affect women's identity?

  It strips women of their identity
• What does the loss of identity represent for women in Gilead?

  Loss of power on a fundamental level
• What internal conflict does Offred experience regarding her identity?

  She battles between survival and identity
• What is identity generally defined as?

  Our sense of who we are
• Who introduced the concept of social identity theory?

  Henri Tajfel
• What does social identity theory examine?

  Parts of identity shaped by relationships
• What mentality does Tajfel theorize people develop regarding in-group members?

  Preference for in-group over out-group
• What can the us vs. them mentality lead to?

  Oppression and genocide
• What measures does Gilead adopt against women’s identity?

  • Women lose jobs and money
  • Families and friends are separated
  • Access to reproductive healthcare is denied
• What does Offred's name signify in Gilead?

  She belongs to her Commander, Fred
• How does Offred's name relate to her identity?

  It symbolizes her lack of individuality
• What does Offred's desire to be called by her real name indicate?

  Her longing for individuality and value
• What does Offred associate with her former name?

  Being valued and having an identity
• How does Offred's relationship with Nick differ from her relationship with the Commander?

  Nick's relationship is more autonomous and intimate
• What does Offred's mental inventory of herself signify?

  Her struggle to maintain her identity
• What does Offred mean by "I have viable ovaries"?

  Her only value in Gilead is reproduction
• How does Offred feel about her memories of her family?

  They are fading and distant
• What does Offred's description of herself as "smoke" imply?

  She feels shapeless and temporary
• What does Offred blame herself for regarding her memories?

  For forgetting too much
• What does the imagery of a "shadow" symbolize for Offred?

  Her loss of identity and personhood
• How does Gilead's control affect Handmaids' friendships?

  • Past relationships are severed
  • New friendships are prohibited
• What does Offred's longing for her daughter signify?

  Her connection to her past identity
• How does Offred's relationship with Nick help her identity?

  It gives her a sense of autonomy
• What is the significance of Offred's name being used by Nick at the end?

  It connects her to her old identity
• What does Offred's ambivalence towards her name indicate?

  Her struggle with her identity
• What do Offred's memories allow her to do?

  Recall a sense of self
• How does Gilead's control affect Handmaids' relationships?

  It forces them to forget loved ones
• What does Offred's use of past tense for her family signify?

  She is forgetting her closest relationships
• What does Offred's self-blame indicate about Gilead's influence?

  She internalizes Gilead's harmful practices
• What does Offred's description of herself as a "dead mother" imply?

  She feels disconnected from her identity as a mother
• How does Offred's affair with Nick affect her identity?

  It allows her to reclaim some autonomy
• What does the imagery of fading memories symbolize for Offred?

  Her loss of identity and connection
• What does Offred's desire for her daughter indicate about her identity?

  Her identity is tied to her motherhood
• What does Offred's relationship with Nick represent?

  A chance to reclaim her identity
• How does Offred's relationship with Nick contrast with her relationship with the Commander?

  Nick's relationship is more equal and intimate
• What does Offred's final reflection on her name suggest about her identity?

  It reflects her struggle with self-identity
• What does Offred's memory of her family signify in the context of her identity?

  It is crucial for maintaining her sense of self
• What does Offred's longing for her daughter reveal about her situation?

  Her deep sense of loss and disconnection
• How does Gilead's control affect Offred's memories?

  It causes them to fade and become distant