Chapter summary Flashcards
1
Q
Chapter 1
A
- Old gymnasium appearing like a women’s prison
- Dormitory patrolled by Aunts and guarded by Angels
- Narrator whispers in the dark
2
Q
Chapter 2
A
- Location shifts to Offred’s room
- Describes outfit and the room
- Gets ready to go shopping (Marthas and tokens)
3
Q
Chapter 3
A
- Describes the garden and Serena
- Flashback: arriving at Commander’s house and meeting Serena
- Remembers Seren’s past
4
Q
Chapter 4
A
- Offred meets Nick (whistles & winks)
- Thinks about woman shot at barrier
- Black vans mentioned
- Offred makes first act of defiance - eye contact & sways her hips
5
Q
Chapter 5
A
- Double vision
- Shopping (past vs present)
- ‘Freedom to and freedom from’
- Encounters Janine, a pregnant Handmaid
- Japanese tourists
6
Q
Chapter 6
A
- Offred and Ofglen walk to the ‘church’
- Visit the Wall
- Offred shows signs of resistance as does Ofglen (tremour)
7
Q
Chapter 7
A
FLASHBACKS
* Moira
* Mother burning magazines
* Her lost daughter
* Contemplates her own storytelling
8
Q
Chapter 8
A
- Offred and Ofglen at the Wall
- Mayday try out
- Econowive baby funeral
- Double vision with Ofglen
- Commander breaks rules - stands outside her room
9
Q
Chapter 9
A
- Offred claims her room
- Discovers old message left from her unknown predecessor
10
Q
Chapter 10
A
- Aunt Lydia flashback - rodent
- Flashback to college days w/ Moira
- Observes Nick and Commander - fantasises hitting him
11
Q
Chapter 11
A
- Offred visits doctor
- Doctor offers to impregnate her
12
Q
Chapter 12
A
- Offred takes a bath
- Imagines her daughter who was taken away
- Act of resistance (steals butter from dinner)
13
Q
Chapter 13
A
- Time of thinking
- Describes Red Centre - seeing Moira + secret meetings in washroom
- Janine gang rape chant
- Describes her own attempt to escape with daughter
14
Q
Chapter 14
A
- Household assembles for family prayers
- Resistance - stealing item
- Nick touches Offred’s foot
- Watch news with Serenea
- Flashbacks: her names, her failed escape
15
Q
Chapter 15
A
- Commander enters
- Commander reads bible
- Red Centre flashback: Moira’s escape attempt + punishment
- Offred prays with with the message (LINKS MOIRA + PREDECESSOR AS REBELLION)
16
Q
Chapter 16
A
- The Ceremony
17
Q
Chapter 17
A
- Uses butter - rebellion
- Leaves her room - rebellion
- Steals flower - rebellion
- Embraces Nick - rebellion + learns Commander wants a meeting
18
Q
Chapter 18
A
- Conflicting hopes and fears for Luke (where he is)
- Thinking as a method of survival
19
Q
Chapter 19
A
- Dreams of her absent family and the past
- Egg
- Birthmobile - Ofwarren’s baby
- Environmental cause of Gilead
- Submissive nature of Janine
20
Q
Chapter 20
A
- Flashback to movies at Red Centre
- Pornographic tapes and feminist rallies (sees her mother)
- Flashback to mother in kitchen
21
Q
Chapter 21
A
- Janine’s birth
- Muses on phrase ‘a women’s culture
22
Q
Chapter 22
A
- Tells story of Moira’s successful escape (disguise as an aunt)
- Janine as Aunt Lydia’s helper
23
Q
Chapter 23
A
- First meeting with the Commander - play forbidden game ‘Scrabble’ and kiss
- Cross over between past conventions and present
24
Q
Chapter 24
A
- Given hope of survival
- Offred’s psychological situation changes
- Laughs at the situation - slightly mad moment
- Story of mistress’ ignorance of man burning Jewish children in ovens
25
Q
Chapter 25
A
- Cora drops breakfast tray
- Description of garden
- Describes frequent visits to Commander
- 2nd meeting - The magazine
- 3rd meeting - lotion (angry at the Commander for his ignorance)
25
Q
Chapter 26
A
- Second Ceremony
- The way Offred speaks to Commander differs - they are co-conspirators
- Commander occupies space and time - emotional involvement
26
Q
Chapter 27
A
- Offred and Ofglen doubled
- Rebellion
- Mayday revealed - undergorund resistance
27
Q
Chapter 28
A
- Thoughts about past
- Reflects on the changes of society (the right wing take over - women stripped of rights) + riots
- Considers Nick
- Reminisces about Luke
28
Q
Chapter 29
A
- Discuss Commander’s past
- Offred asks the meaning of the Latin inscription
- Talks about predecessor hanging herself (also commander’s mistress)
29
Q
Chapter 30
A
-* Contemplates the doubling of Luke and Nick - longs for love
* Flashback to killing the cat
* Personalised prayer
30
Q
Chapter 31
A
- wishful for mundane events of past
- learns about Mayday password
- Serena proposes Nick impregnating her
*Bribes her with a photo of her daughter
31
Q
Chapter 32
A
- asks Rita for a match
- considers her relationship with the Commander
- Commander discusses that sex was too easy
- Doubling her dead predecessor
32
Q
Chapter 33
A
- Prayvaganza celebrations - mass marriage celebration
- Sees Janine + finds out baby died
- Flashback to when Janine went crazy at Red Centre
33
Q
Chapter 34
A
- Prayvaganza commnces
- Flashback to Commander defending Gilead
- Ofglen makes rebellious comments
- Flashback to Moira’s opinions
- Ofglen makes it clear Mayday knows about O’s visits to the Commander
34
Q
Chapter 35
A
- flashback to her and her daughter being caught escaping
- nostalgically reflects on falling in love from conversation with commander
- Serena brings photo of her daughter
35
Q
Chapter 36
A
- Commander dresses her up
- They leave for Jezebel’s
36
Q
Chapter 37
A
- Jezebel’s (state brothel) description
- Sees Moira
37
Q
Chapter 38
A
- Meets Moira in washroom
- Moira discusses how she got to Jezebel’s
- Offred reflects that she doesn’t know what happened to Moira
38
Q
Chapter 39
A
- Commander arranges a sexual encounter with Offred at Jezebel’s
- Flashback to Moira saying she saw Offred’s mother at colonies
- Remembers her mother’s smashed up house and her disappearence
- Can’t fake enjoying sex with Commander
39
Q
Chapter 40
A
- First sexual encounter with Nick
- Multiple reconstructions
40
Q
Chapter 41
A
- Reflects on story
- Tells us she repeatedly visits Nick for ‘making love’
- Indifferent to rebellion
- No longer wants to leave Gilead because of Nick
41
Q
Chapter 42
A
- SALVAGING - two Handmaids and one Wife publicly hanged
- Offred looks away
42
Q
Chapter 43
A
- PARTICICUTION
- Man accused of rape beaten up by Handmaids
- Ofglen reveals the man was Mayday not a rapist
- Janine is crazy
43
Q
Chapter 44
A
- Ofglen is replaced by a new Ofglen
- Old Oglen hung herself after Salvaging when she saw the van
44
Q
Chapter 45
A
- Offred feels deep deapair at situation
- Serena finds out about Offred’s affairs with the Commander
45
Q
Chapter 46
A
- Offred’s last crisis
- Sees black van
- Nick tells her Mayday are here to save her
