THT StudyGuide Ch. 1-12 Flashcards
Meaning of Epigraph 1
- “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from three the fruit of the womb? And she said, behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.”
From Genesis 30:1-3.
- The bible is always mentioned; for example ‘Gilead’ is geographic places in the hebrew places
- It is like the handmaid’s tale when Fred has to have sex with Offred in order get her pregnant because his wife cannot have children.
- Women are only used for their ovaries and if they do not have it then they mean nothing is just as demeaning as only using them as sex objects.
- in the back of THT it is WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT
Meaning of Epigraph 2-
“But as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal…” - Jonathan Swift “A Modest Proposal”
- This is a satiric essay
- parallels the Atwood’s Gilead
- proposes raising children and selling as food so the poor can be alleviated; they produce more infants than they can afford.
Meaning of Epigraph 3-
“In the desert there is no sign that says, Thou shalt not eat stones.” - Sufi proverb
- NO LAW ABOUT THE OBVIOUS
- people are not meant to eat stones so no need to prohibit what is undesirable
What is a social controversy that underlies the novel?
feminists attitudes towards sexuality and pornography.
-feminist views
What is this book?
It is a satire.
reduction ad absurdum
Theoretical exercise to stimulate thought about social issues rather than a realistic portrait of a probable future
-compared to Johnathon Swift
What can you tell about the time period? (Ch. 1)
It is taking place in a dystopian society. “What had once been”
Palimpsest
it is impossible to erase the past although that is what Gilead is trying to do.
who is assigned which colors?
commander - black
commanders wife- blue
handmaids- red
Who is Rita?
a Martha. Cooks their meals. (wears dull green)
Who is Cora?
The maid. cannot have babies; tubes tied.
Who is Luke?
her husband
fraternize
to behave like a brother
“They’ve moved anything you could tie a rope to?”
They don’t want Handmaid’s to hang themselves as an escape route.
What do Martha’s gossip about?
They gossip about the wives being jealous of handmaids (wife stabbed pregnant handmaid) and the ways handmaids have killed commanders (put toilet cleaner in drink)
What is suggested that the immediate supervisors of the girls are women but these women are not allowed to have guns?
- women are not equal with men; men are only allowed to have guns
- it is not just men controlling women
What is suggested by the fact that girls have to reads lips to learn each others lips?
They are not allowed to talk; communication is dangerous.
The setting has shifted (Chapter 2) where is the narrative now set?
The commanders house (offreds room, the hall, and kitchen)
Explain the play on the proverb, “Waste not, want not.”
The proverb encourages thrift and economy, not wasting anything in case of future need (want).
-Offred has become a resource that is being used. but desires more from her life.
“Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep.” What two things are implied by this?
There is no sex, or love, or comfort in this bed
- often unable to sleep
. “Ladies in reduced circumstances” is a nineteenth century expression usually applied to impoverished widows. Explain the pun.
widows usually lived in little bed sitting rooms, because that is all they could afford as they could not work or earn a living.
-handmaids are also confined to tiny rooms without resources of any kind.
What is suggested by the existence of ‘Colonies’ where ‘Unwomen’ live?
women who do not conform are outlawed.
- anyone who does not fit traditional perception
ex. feminist is clearly not a real woman
Quote the sentence that tells us that the regime of this country is relatively recent?
“Things haven’t settled down… it’s too soon”
how are Serena Joy and Tammy Fay Bakker the same?
not only looks but valued old fashioned life style.
- gets in a life full of misery
Who are the Guardians?
routine policeman
What is an “Eye”?
an eyes is a higher ranking than a Guardian and have the ability to take handmaids away to the colonies/ kill them if they disobey
How do the names of handmaids seem to be formed?
it goes of- plus the commanders name.
Ex. Fred is the commanders name, so the handmaids name is Offred
How are we informed that the society is under attack?
“They’ve defeated more of the rebels”
-what Ofglen told Offred
In Christian context what is Gilead?
The source of healing: Jesus Christ
What are the black vans for?
transporting prisoners
What power does Offred still have over men, powerless as she is?
To make them want her; to tease.
What is Gilead’s attitude toward higher education? How do we know?
They do not respect it, or the profession. “There are no lawyers anymore, and the university is closed”
Why is it ominous that the number of widows has diminished?
It seems that they have been sent to the colonies because they are unwanted burdens; they cannot support themselves.
“Habits are hard to break.” Comment on the language use.
It is a pun.
-She refers both to the difficulty of getting in and out of these voluminous dresses, and the idea that routine will take over.
What is the women’s reaction to the pregnant Janine/Ofwarren?
They are excited. if one can do, they maybe they all can do it.
How are the Japanese women different from the women of Gilead? Explain the significance of the encounter.
They dress the way Offred used to – ‘Westernised’; ‘freedom’. Short skirts, high heels, and curiosity. They seem naked
What is the function of the Wall? Why have the doctors been executed?
- The wall is used to display dead bodies and scare people.
- They executed doctors because they thought women might go to them for birth control or to get their tubes tied.
“Luke wasn’t a doctor. Isn’t”? What is significant about the shift to the present tense?
she has to remind herself to think of him as still alive.
What is the only ‘place’ Offred is able to travel to?
into her past; into her memories.
What was Offred’s reaction as a little girl to her mother’s participation in the burning of pornographic magazines? What does she think about it now?
- she sulked because she did not want to be there.
- no understanding of pornography being burned.
- time where tolerance and freedom needed to be protected.
What is ‘Gender Treachery’?
homosexuality
-being a trader to ones sex
What is an ‘Unbaby’?
a baby born too deformed to be allowed live.
They can’t help it, she said.” To whom is Aunt Lydia referring?
men– who are naturally lustful
ex. the commander confirms idea.
Why does Offred envy Rita her knife?
A knife is freedom; you can kill oneself or kill another
Why is she startled when she realises she has called the room ‘mine’? Why has she done so?
early she said the room was just a room, so by saying ‘mine’, it is like acceptance of her place.
- she sees the commender sulking near her space and wants to protect it.
What feelings does she have as she looks back on the early days of her affair with Luke?
- she realizes that she never realized how happy they were despite their problems
- she was careless
Why are the words to the hymn “Amazing Grace” now considered subversive?
It uses forbidden words like ‘free’ which are not apart of Gilead.
Whom did Aunt Lydia blame for the “things” that used to happen to women
the women for allowing them
To what sorts of memories does Offred keep returning?
the details of the way they lived.
ex. Moiras humor
What do we learn about the system from the episode at the doctor’s office
each handmaid has a regular medical checkup for health and fertility.
-some handmaids get pregnant via doctors
What might happen to women in bathrooms “before they got all the bugs ironed out”?
cutting or drowning; suicide or murder
I don’t want to look at something that determines me so completely”? [73/61] Explain.
her role in this society is dictated by her body; she has no choice.
Offred says of the attempted kidnapping of her daughter, “I thought it was an isolated incident, at the time.” [73/62] What does this suggest?
kidnapping babies became more common and infertility became more of a problem.
Of what does the tattoo on Offred’s ankle remind us? [
the number the nazis would put on inmates in concentration camps.
What two meanings of the word “compose” is she playing with in the last paragraph?
to write, to make up, and to prepare oneself.
- to ensure one is ready
