The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Attwood Flashcards
“A chair, a table, a lamp”
Offred’s room
Simplistic imagery, a room meant to provide comfort provides insecurity instead, lack of identity (no personal items), excessive surveillance, ensures she isn’t rebelling and can’t commit
“Red”
Serena Joy’s garden
Motif of the colour red, represents the handmaids, passionate anger is hidden by the innocence of the flower, a place for Serena to feel in control, tantalizing for Offred as she cannot be in control anywhere. Constant reminder of punishment (blood)
“tulip”
Serena Joy’s garden
Represents the handmaid’s fertility, the tulips are blossoming
“the Wall”
Represents Gilead’s power and authority controlling its citizens through the threat of the wall. Symbolises the Berlin Wall (segregation and isolation). The wall is there to deter people and is used as a punishment and ideological control. Atwood warns society that history will repeat itself if no change occurs
“unwomen”
Women are reduced to nothing and worthlessness if they cannot or refuse to reproduce, sent to the colonies to die as they have not fulfilled their roles to reproduce
“Army cots”
The Red Centre
Emphasises a sense of restriction and lack of control for women as they are expected to maintain discipline and act obedient for their own survival, Atwood refers the cold war, tensions between west and east soviet union
“Cattle prods”
The Red Centre
Military imagery may reflect Aunts trying to achieve power, Atwood witnesses countries racing to develop nuclear weapons to have power in politics, dehumanises the handmaids (animalistic)
“We still had our bodies”
Freedom has been reduced to a form of objectification as they have been misled through indoctrination. Emphasises the depth of dystopia and manipulation the handmaids are subjected to as Offred now believes her only use is her body for reproduction, stripped from their previous identities. “We”= loss of individuality, only defined by their biological purpose (reproduce)
“Fireless fireplace”
Commander’s Office
Lack of comfort, warmth and kindness, symbolic of the horrific regime
“No locks, no boxes”
Commander’s office
The commanders is unadulterated, he is free to access “books” and hold the power of knowledge, which the handmaids had stripped from them
“Larynx”
Scrabble- the commnader’s office
Voicebox- emphasises her lack of voice and his powerful voice, scrabble provides her with a sense of freedom to showcase her knowledge, which is ironic as in a world full of oppression, offred has freedom which empowers her. Atwood teachers us that power of knowledge is essential to challenge the totalitarian regime
“Salvagings”
Harvard university
Harvard was closed by Gilead, Atwood uses irony as Harvard teaches knowledge, but now it is the grounds of those who aren’t allowed knowledge, resembles death and brutality of the intense restrictions. Atwood speculates that if schools are subverted and controlled by totalitarian regime this leads to destruction. Echoes Nazi Germany as Hitler controlled the education system to indoctrinate the youth
“doll”
Lack of voice and control over her body, pre-programmed voice, restricted speech to religious doctrine. Serena Joy owns her as her toy, she has no ownership of her body
“Offred”
Of Fred, her name signifies her position as a possession
“The colour of blood that defines us”
Red is a motif and represents fertility and reproduction (Handmaid’s wear red), their fertility defines them and it is their sole purpose
