Class

• What is a recurring theme in The Handmaid’s Tale?


  Class
• How are citizens defined in Gilead?

  By their social class
• What factors contribute to a person's class in Gilead?

  Gender, age, race, sexuality, status, power
• What implications do societal roles have in Gilead?

  They affect participation in society
• How is class generally defined?

  A person's place in the social hierarchy
• What are the traditional levels of economic classes?

  Lower, middle, and upper
• What is intersectionality?

  The intersection of different identity aspects
• Who coined the term intersectionality?

  Kimberlé Crenshaw
• What does Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality explain?

  Access to good or bad life experiences
• How does gender affect class in The Handmaid’s Tale?

  It determines roles and status in society
• What role do fertile women have in Gilead?

  They are assigned to be Handmaids
• What happens to people who do not fit Gilead's ideals?

  They are sent to the Colonies
• Who are considered the bourgeoisie in Gilead?

  Commanders, Wives, and Angels
• What does Marx's theory of class focus on?

  Ownership of property and labor
• Who are the proletariat according to Marx?

  The working class
• How do Handmaids symbolize the proletariat in Gilead?

  They are subjugated and denied freedoms
• What is Weber's view on social class?

  It is an interplay of class, status, and power
• What are the three components of Weber's theory?

  Class, status, and power
• How does Weber's theory differ from Marx's?

  It includes status and power in class
• How do Commanders rank in Gilead's class hierarchy?

  They are the most powerful class
• What privileges do Commanders have?

  Access to luxury items and food
• What is the role of Wives in Gilead?

  They manage household matters
• How do Wives exert power over lower classes?

  They have authority over Handmaids and Marthas
• What are Angels in Gilead?

  High-ranking soldiers and guards
• What is the function of the Eyes in Gilead?

  They act as secret police
• Who are the Guardians in Gilead?

  Guards and police for Commanders and Wives
• What does Nick's status as a Guardian indicate?

  He has low status and influence
• What does Offred observe about Nick's status?

  He hasn't been issued a woman
• What does Nick's lack of a woman suggest?

  He is not as powerful as others
• What freedoms does Nick have despite his low status?

  He has his own apartment
• What are Guardians in Gilead?

  Gilead's guards and police
• What roles can Guardians serve in Gilead?

  Bodyguards and servants for Commanders and Wives
• Who is Nick in the context of Guardians?

  He is a Guardian suspected of being an Eye
• What does Offred observe about Nick's status?

  He lives over the garage and has low status
• What does Nick's lack of a woman signify about his status?

  He is less powerful than Angels or Commanders
• What privileges do Guardians have in society?

  They can be promoted to Angels
• What is the role of Aunts in Gilead?

  Indoctrinating Handmaids and enforcing rules
• What powers do Aunts have over Handmaids?

  They can torture Handmaids for rule-breaking
• What privileges do Aunts have in Gilead?

  They are allowed to read and write