The Handmaid's Tale

Question 1

feminism

Answer 1

second wave feminism focused on women’s rights in society more generally, including women’s right to sexualise themselves only if they wanted. Offred’s mother took her to rallies burning pornographic magazines

Question 2

nazi germany

Answer 2

-“Heil Hitler” created an omnipotent but absent third party like “Under His eye”
-citizens of Gilead are taught to fear each other, similar to the way Germans were. mistrust in both cases paved the way for authorities to take control and gradually remove autonomy

Question 3

religion/ bible stories

Answer 3

-Marthas derive their title from the frustrated, housekeeping sister whom Jesus admonishes in one Gospel story.
-the ceremony directly references a story from Genesis where Rachel’s maid bore a child for her as she was jealous of her sister

Question 4

moral majority and ronald reagan

Answer 4

conservative phenomenon which opposed personal freedoms eg homosexuality or careers for women. atwood extrapolates these ideas in the novel

Question 5

puritans

Answer 5

-believed that the state should protect and promote true religion and that religion should influence politics and social life
-children raised to not shown extreme emotions; to obey; to not freely play
-felt they had direct covenant with God

Question 6

berlin

Answer 6

-novel written in Berlin, 3 years before wall fell
-the wall in the novel represents berlin wall: symbol of segregation and ideological control

Question 7

iran

Answer 7

-mandatory veiling of women, public stoning for dissenters, women needed permission from husbands for things
-parallels with handmaids’ wings and hoods

Question 8

cold war

Answer 8

-atwood lived in west berlin during a time of particular tension
-saw that established political and social orders could vanish overnight