Handmaids Tale Flashcards
What is the setting of The Handmaid’s Tale?
A dystopian society called Gilead, a totalitarian theocracy in what was once the United States.
Who is the protagonist of the novel?
Offred, a Handmaid assigned to the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy.
What is the role of Handmaids in Gilead?
They are forced to bear children for elite couples who cannot conceive.
How does Offred remember life before Gilead?
She had a husband (Luke), a daughter, a job, and freedom before the rise of Gilead.
What happens during the Ceremony?
The Commander has ritualized sex with Offred while Serena Joy holds her, as part of Gilead’s efforts to control reproduction.
How does Offred secretly rebel against Gilead’s rules?
She forms an illicit relationship with Nick, the Commander’s chauffeur, and reads secretly.
What is Jezebel’s, and why is it significant?
A secret club where elite men enjoy forbidden pleasures, revealing the hypocrisy of Gilead’s leaders.
What is Mayday?
A resistance movement working against the Gilead regime.
How does Serena Joy react when she suspects Offred’s disobedience?
She confronts Offred after discovering evidence of her secret activities.
What happens at the end of the novel?
Offred is taken away by men in a black van—possibly the Eyes (secret police) or the Mayday resistance—leaving her fate uncertain.
Who is Serena Joy?
The Commander’s wife, a former televangelist who now resents the Handmaids and her lack of power.
Who is Nick, and what is his significance?
The Commander’s chauffeur and a possible member of Mayday; he becomes Offred’s lover and may help her escape.
Who is Moira, and what does she represent?
Offred’s rebellious best friend, who represents resistance and independence but is ultimately broken by Gilead.
What happens to Offred’s mother?
She was a feminist activist and is later sent to the Colonies, a toxic wasteland where dissenters are sent to die.
Who is Ofglen, and why is she important?
Offred’s shopping partner and a member of the resistance; she eventually takes her own life to avoid capture.
How does The Handmaid’s Tale explore the theme of control over women’s bodies?
Gilead forces women into roles based on fertility, stripping them of autonomy and reducing them to reproductive functions.
How does language function as a tool of control in Gilead?
Gilead censors reading, writing, and speech to limit independent thought and reinforce obedience.
What does the novel suggest about the dangers of religious extremism?
Gilead twists biblical texts to justify oppression, showing how religion can be manipulated for power.
How is resistance portrayed in The Handmaid’s Tale?
Small acts, like stealing butter or reading, demonstrate defiance in a regime that seeks total control.
How does The Handmaid’s Tale address the theme of memory?
Offred’s flashbacks to her past life contrast with her present oppression, showing how memory fuels resistance.
What does the color red symbolize in The Handmaid’s Tale?
Fertility, blood, and oppression—Handmaids wear red as a sign of their reproductive role.
What is the significance of the eyes in The Handmaid’s Tale?
The Eyes represent Gilead’s surveillance state, where no one is truly safe from being watched.
What does the Wall symbolize?
Public executions and Gilead’s use of fear to maintain control.
What do flowers represent in the novel?
Women’s controlled beauty and fertility, particularly in Serena Joy’s garden.
What does Offred’s name symbolize?
“Of-Fred” signifies ownership by the Commander, highlighting how Handmaids lose their identities.
How does The Handmaid’s Tale parallel Puritan society?
Gilead mirrors Puritan New England, where strict religious doctrine controlled women’s roles and punished dissent harshly.
How does Gilead resemble Nazi Germany?
Like the Nazis, Gilead enforces rigid social hierarchy, removes “undesirables” (such as LGBTQ+ people and dissidents), and controls reproduction.
What historical event does the forced separation of families in Gilead resemble?
It echoes practices such as the transatlantic slave trade and Canada’s residential schools, where families were torn apart by oppressive regimes.
How does the novel reflect real-world restrictions on women’s rights?
Gilead’s stripping of women’s rights, like banning them from working or owning property, parallels historical laws and policies that have subjugated women.
How does The Handmaid’s Tale relate to modern surveillance states?
Gilead’s use of secret police (the Eyes) and propaganda resembles totalitarian regimes like Stalin’s USSR and East Germany’s Stasi.
What is the point of view in The Handmaid’s Tale?
First-person, told from Offred’s perspective, making the reader feel her fear and powerlessness.
How does the novel use flashbacks?
Offred’s memories of her past life contrast with her present oppression, showing how quickly freedoms can be lost.
Why is the novel’s storytelling fragmented?
Offred’s disjointed thoughts reflect trauma, repression, and the difficulty of telling a censored story.
What is the significance of the “Historical Notes” section at the end?
It frames Offred’s account as a recovered historical document, emphasizing how history can be rewritten or misinterpreted.
How does Offred’s unreliable narration affect the story?
Her limited knowledge and personal bias make the reader question the full truth of events.
