The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood, Margaret Review & Synopsis

 Synopsis

A gripping vision of our society radically overturned by a theocratic revolution, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale has become one of the most powerful and most widely read novels of our time.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife. She may go out once a day to markets whose signs are now pictures because women are not allowed to read. She must pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, for in a time of declining birthrates her value lies in her fertility, and failure means exile to the dangerously polluted Colonies. Offred can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Now she navigates the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules.

Like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid's Tale has endured not only as a literary landmark but as a warning of a possible future that is still chillingly relevant.

Review

"The most poetically satisfying and intense of all Atwood's novels."- Maclean's 

"The Handmaid's Tale is in the honorable tradition of Brave New World and other warnings of dystopia. It's imaginative even audacious, and conveys a chilling sense of fear and menace."-The Globe and Mail

 

"The Handmaid's Tale brings out the very best in Atwood--moral vision, biting humor, and a poet's imagination."-Chatelaine

Right-wing religious zealots have overthrown the United States government. America is now a fundamentalist police state where fertile young women known as Handmaids are forced to conceive children for the barren elite. Emma Campbell stars as Offred in this mesmerizing dramatization of Margaret Atwood's internationally best-selling novel. Assigned as an official breeder to the Commander (played by William B. Davis) and his jealous wife Serena Joy (Donna Goodhand), she mingles memories of her old life with dangerous thoughts of rebellion and love. Audacious and visionary, The Handmaid's Tale won the Governor General's Award for Fiction and was a runner-up for the Booker Prize.

The Art and Making of The Handmaid's Tale

Explore the world of Gilead with this behind-the-scenes look at the award–winning show The Handmaid’s Tale. The Handmaid’s Tale—the groundbreaking show produced by MGM Television and based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling novel—has drawn rave reviews and attention worldwide. Now, this comprehensive book details the process of bringing the story to the small screen with forty-five exclusive cast and crew interviews, backstage and set photography, concept art, costume design, and more. Delve deep into the dystopia of Gilead as interviews with the show’s cast and creators provide insight into the inspiration behind the characters, settings, and themes, as well as its parallels to the real-world political climate. Showcasing striking visuals and insightful commentary, The Art and Making of The Handmaid’s Tale is the definitive exploration of one of television’s most critically acclaimed shows.

Now, this comprehensive book details the process of bringing the story to the small screen with forty-five exclusive cast and crew interviews, backstage and set photography, concept art, costume design, and more."

Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's popular dystopian novel A Handmaid's Tale, engages the reader with a broad range of issues relating to power, gender and religious politics. This guide provides an overview of the key critical debates and interpretations of the novel and encourages you to engage with key questions and readings in your reading of the text. It includes discussion of key themes and concepts including: - Representation of women's roles, gender, sexuality and power - Language, style and form - Dystopias and genre fictions - Power, control and religious fundamentalism. Combining helpful guidance on reading Atwood's text with overviews of significant stylistic and thematic issues and an introduction to criticism, this is an ideal companion to reading and studying A Handmaid's Tale.

Combining helpful guidance on reading Atwood's text with overviews of significant stylistic and thematic issues and an introduction to criticism, this is an ideal companion to reading and studying A Handmaid's Tale."

Summary and Analysis of The Handmaid's Tale

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Handmaid’s Tale tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Margaret Atwood’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood includes: Historical context Part-by-part summaries Analysis of the main characters Themes and symbols Important quotes Fascinating trivia Glossary of terms Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: Margaret Atwood’s dystopian literary masterpiece tells the story of Offred, a Handmaid living in the near future in what was once the United States. A new theocratic regime called the Republic of Gilead has come to power and changed life as she knew it. Once Offred had a her own name and a loving family—a husband and daughter—both of which were taken from her; now she belongs to the Commander and his hostile wife, and her only value lies in her ability to bear a child for them. She used to read books and learn; now such things are forbidden to all women. Gripping, disturbing, and so relevant today, The Handmaid’s Tale is a brilliant novel and a chilling warning about what can happen when extreme ideas are taken to their logical conclusions. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of fiction.

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Handmaid’s Tale tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Margaret Atwood’s book."

Summary of The Handmaid’s Tale

Summary of The Handmaid’s Tale - A Comprehensive Summary PART 1: OUR LIVES The novel opens with an unknown Narrator describing her life and the lives of other girls. The reader is told that the United States no longer exists, followed by stories of the past, what women are in the present day, and what rules they have to live by, such as leaving school only twice a day to walk around a football field and not being allowed to talk amongst themselves. Several women discovered a way to communicate to each other by murmuring inaudibly, thus exchanging their names. In the second chapter, the reader learns that the Narrator is a female currently living in a house from the Victorian era. The house, belonging to someone named the Commander and his Wife, is set up in such a way that suicide is not possible for anyone living inside. The Narrator has a special costume that she needs to wear, consisting of a muffling red ensemble, a headdress with a veil, and white wings on the side of her face. The woman goes shopping with tokens that the cook, Rita, gave her to exchange for food. Rita and the housekeeper, Cora, belong to a caste called the Marthas who wear green. It would appear that the Marthas are allowed certain other freedoms, such as the ability to gossip with one another. To be continued... Here is a Preview of What You Will Get: ⁃ A Full Book Summary ⁃ An Analysis ⁃ Fun quizzes ⁃ Quiz Answers ⁃ Etc. Get a copy of this summary and learn about the book.

 HANDMAID . Readers learn that this is the Narrator's third posting to a private home, where she has been for five weeks. The Commander's Wife is unwelcoming and rude to the Narrator. As Wives, who all wear blue, are of a different caste, ..."

The Handmaid's Tale (Study Guide)

The perfect companion to Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," this study guide contains a chapter by chapter analysis of the book, a summary of the plot, and a guide to major characters and themes. BookCap Study Guides do not contain text from the actual book, and are not meant to be purchased as alternatives to reading the book.

 The Handmaid's Tale was written in 1986. It's author, Margaret Atwood, was born in Ottawa but has since traveled all over and lived in many other cities including London, Montreal, and Boston. She began writing The Handmaid's Tale while ..."

Oxford Literature Companions: The Handmaid's Tale

Easy to use in the classroom or as a tool for revision, Oxford Literature Companions provide student-friendly analysis of a range of popular A Level set texts. Each book offers a lively, engaging approach to the text, covering characterisation and role, genre, context, language, themes, structure and critical views, whilst also providing a range of varied and in-depth activities to deepen understanding and encourage close work with the text. Each book also includes a comprehensive Skills and Practice section, which provides detailed advice on assessment and a bank of exam-style questions and annotated sample student answers. This guide covers The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

To what extent do you believe this is true of The Handmaid's Tale? To answer this question well you will need to show insight into the features of dystopian novels, such as a totalitarian government and the use of surveillance."

Women's Issues in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale depicts a dystopian society in which a religious dictatorship assumes control of the United States, turning the country into the Republic of Gilead. In this new society, women are stripped of autonomy and often relegated to roles such as servant or childbearing maid. Since the book's publication in 1985, it has become a popular point of reference to guard against government interference in women's rights and issues. This informative edition takes a critical look at Atwood's life and writings, with a specific focus on key ideas related to The Handmaid's Tale. The book collects a series of essays pertaining to feminism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism, creating points of discussion for readers that are both modern and relevant. The text also discusses contemporary women's issues and presents perspectives on topics such as surrogacy, same-sex marriage, and modesty.

The Treatment of Women in The Handmaid's Tale Is the Historical Norm Jill Swale A look back at first-wave, second-wave, and third-wave feminism, as well as postfeminism, demonstrates how these real-world political movements map to ..."

A Study Guide for Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

A Study Guide for Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Novels for Students.This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Novels for Students for all of your research needs.

She cannot help being jealous, despite all of the rules built into the ceremony to make the relationship between her husband and the handmaid impersonal; when the ceremony is over, Serena Joy curtly tells the handmaid to leave, ..."

Religion in The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale captivates readers with its disturbingly prescient vision of the future and haunting insights into the world as we know it. Religion--especially elements of the Christian faith--pervades every inch of the world as Atwood imagines it. Gilead's leaders use perverse forms of Christianity to sustain their authority and privilege, making understanding religion an integral part of understanding Gilead. In the face of the inextricable role of religion in the novel, readers are left to puzzle out religious references and allusions on their own. From the significance of names to twisted uses of religion to the origins of the Ceremony, this book answers all the questions you might have about religion in this prophetic novel. For anyone who's ever googled a biblical precedent or religious phrase after encountering Atwood's dystopia, this essential guide explains it all and gives readers a fascinating look into the novel and its world. Read it and understand The Handmaid's Tale like never before.

A Brief Guide Colette Tennant. RELIGION IN THE HANDMAID'S TALE RELIGION IN THE HANDMAID'S TALE A BRIEF GUIDE Colette Tennant Religion in the Handmaid's Tale."

Study and Revise for AS/A-level: The Handmaid's Tale

Enable students to achieve their best grade in AS/A-level English Literature with this year-round course companion; designed to instil in-depth textual understanding as students read, analyse and revise The Handmaid's Tale throughout the course. This Study and Revise guide: - Increases students' knowledge of The Handmaid's Tale as they progress through the detailed commentary and contextual information written by experienced teachers and examiners - Develops understanding of characterisation, themes, form, structure and language, equipping students with a rich bank of textual examples to enhance their coursework and exam responses - Builds critical and analytical skills through challenging, thought-provoking questions and tasks that encourage students to form their own personal responses to the text - Extends learning and prepares students for higher-level study by introducing critical viewpoints, comparative references to other literary works and suggestions for independent research - Helps students maximise their exam potential using clear explanations of the Assessment Objectives, sample student answers and examiner insights - Improves students' extended writing techniques through targeted advice on planning and structuring a successful essay

In 1987 The Handmaid's Tale won the first Arthur C. Clarke award, given to the best science fiction novel published in the United Kingdom that year. The classification of her novel as 'science fiction' has prompted Margaret Atwood to ..."

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Book Analysis)

Unlock the more straightforward side of The Handmaid’s Tale with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, which follows a young woman named Offred (the Handmaid of the title), who lives in the repressive Republic of Gilead and whose sole role is to conceive children for the powerful Commander she has been assigned to. Thanks to her friend Ofglen, she is introduced to the underground resistance movement, but soon discovers that escaping her position will not be easy. The Handmaid’s Tale was nominated for the 1986 Man Booker Prize (Atwood has been nominated for the award on numerous occasions, and won it for her 2000 novel The Blind Assassin), and has recently been adapted into a critically acclaimed television series. Find out everything you need to know about The Handmaid’s Tale in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Genre: novel Reference edition: Atwood, M. (1996) The Handmaid's Tale. London: Vintage. 1st edition: 1985 Themes: politics, women's rights, sex, oppression and power, language, morality The Handmaid's Tale (1986) is set in a future ..."

The Binge Watcher’s Guide To The Handmaid’s Tale

It can't happen here... Or can it? In the late 1980's Margaret Atwood's award winning novel The Handmaid's Tale showed us the dystopian society of Gilead. In 2017 Bruce Miller brought it to life on Hulu, and the parallels to the ultra religious patriarchal society to what is happening in the United States today is terrifyingly prophetical. This Binge Watcher’s Guide takes you through the first three seasons of the television series with each episode reviewed with a gut punch rating and trigger warnings. If you like to read the end of the book first or watch horror movies between your fingers, this book is for you. It's also for people who want a "couch buddy" to share all the WTF feelings that the show brings out. At the end of each chapter is a short guide on how to process the emotions brought up during the episodes and provides hope for a future that doesn't mirror June and the rest of the Handmaids existence. Blessed be the squad!

They shifted to “women leader” when the popular TV adaptation of the book “ The Handmaid's Tale” gave the term a sinister cast.” (Graham and LaFraniere, 2020) If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck... Before Ofdonald was sworn in ..."

The Handmaid's Tale (MAXNotes Literature Guides)

REA's MAXnotes for Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions. MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work."

The Handmaid and the Carpenter

In this wonderful novel about love and trust, hope and belief, Elizabeth Berg, the bestselling author of We Are All Welcome Here and The Year of Pleasures, transports us to Nazareth in biblical times to reimagine the events of the classic Christmas story. We see Mary–young, strong, and inquisitive–as she first meets Joseph, a serious-minded young carpenter who is steadfastly devoted to the religious traditions of their people. The two become betrothed, but are soon faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test not only of his courage but of his faith–in his wife as well as in his God. Exquisitely written and imbued with the truthful emotions and richness of detail that have earned Elizabeth Berg a devoted readership, The Handmaid and the Carpenter explores lives touched profoundly by miracles large and small. This powerful and moving novel is destined to become a classic.

In this wonderful novel about love and trust, hope and belief, Elizabeth Berg, the bestselling author of We Are All Welcome Here and The Year of Pleasures, transports us to Nazareth in biblical times to reimagine the events of the classic ..."

The Handmaid's Tale (Graphic Novel)

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships. She serves in the household of the Commander and his wife, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman who had a job, a family, and a name of her own. Now, her memories and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, The Handmaid's Tale has long been a global phenomenon. With this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood's modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renee Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before.

With this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood's modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renee Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before."

The Handmaid's Tale (Movie Tie-in)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from “the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction” (New York Times). Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. Includes an introduction by Margaret Atwood. In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian future, environmental disasters and declining birthrates have led to a Second American Civil War. The result is the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that enforces rigid social roles and enslaves the few remaining fertile women. Offred is one of these, a Handmaid bound to produce children for one of Gilead’s commanders. Deprived of her husband, her child, her freedom, and even her own name, Offred clings to her memories and her will to survive. At once a scathing satire, an ominous warning, and a tour de force of narrative suspense, The Handmaid’s Tale is a modern classic. Look for The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale

At once a scathing satire, an ominous warning, and a tour de force of narrative suspense, The Handmaid’s Tale is a modern classic. Look for The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale"

Motivated Elements of Sexual Inequality in Margaret Atwood's Novel the Handmaid's Tale

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 3,0, http: //www.uni-jena.de/ (Institut für Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: British Dystopias, language: English, abstract: "...women represent fifty percent of the adult world population, one third of the official labour force, perform nearly two-thirds of all working hours, receive only one-tenth of world income and own less than one percent of world property." This quotation from an United Nations report has been in the manuscript of The Handmaid's Tale as possible epigraph, before Margaret Atwood decided to discard it. But nevertheless it shows very distincly that sexual unequality is still an important subject for discussion and literary works. In particular Margaret Atwood, who is also active in Amnesty International, paints a horrible, brutal and extremistic world in her dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale. In her essay "Writing Utopia" Margaret Atwood emphasizes that in this novel nothing happens that has not occurred somewhere in the world at some time before or even now. Which elements of sexual unequality in Offred's life are motivated by real societies? Why did Margaret Atwood pick these for her novel The Handmaid's Tale? This will be pointed out in the following analysis by comparing the real world with the fictive world of Gilead for similarities of sexual unequality during the rapid reversal of the state and in points of the politics, the ideology, the society, the daily life and the resistance against the state.

In particular Margaret Atwood, who is also active in Amnesty International2, paints a horrible, brutal and extremistic world in her dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale. In her essay “Writing Utopia” Margaret Atwood emphasizes that in ..."

CliffsNotes on Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. In CliffsNotes on The Handmaid's Tale, you come to realize that for every utopia, there's a corresponding dystopia. This tale of a bleak future depicts a time where women are valued only for their reproductive capacities. While this cautionary tale of repression and totalitarianism is horrifying, there are moments of poetic warmth and humor. It is a brilliant satire. This concise supplement to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale helps you understand the overall structure of the novel, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author. Features that help you study include Chapter-by-chapter summaries and commentaries A timeline of critical events that leads to the climax of the novel A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters Critical essays on women's roles in the novel, and the use of literary devices, themes, and settings A review section that tests your knowledge Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

This tale of a bleak future depicts a time where women are valued only for their reproductive capacities. While this cautionary tale of repression and totalitarianism is horrifying, there are moments of poetic warmth and humor."

Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Oryx and Crake' - A Comparison

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Constance (Literaturwissenschaften), course: Margaret Atwood's Later Fiction, language: English, abstract: Margaret Atwood's novels The Handmaid's Tale (T.H.T., 1985) and Oryx and Crake (O. & C., 2003) are works of speculative fiction that are set in the near future. Both of the depicted scenarios take place in the U.S.A. and could be classified as "survivor's stories" as they are told from the perspective of a person that survived the new system or the catastrophe the books deal with. T.H.T. takes the reader into an oppressive system that has become reality in the year 2005. In this system women are divided into different kinds of "functional groups" according to their abilities. The story is told by the handmaid Offred who - as all handmaids - is still believed to be fertile. Thus she is solely good for childbearing and has not got any choice. This system however is confined to the United States so that there is still hope for an escape to a better life for the people living under the system. The scenario in O. & C. on the other hand occurs around the year 2025 and depicts a world wide catastrophe where Snowman - the narrator of the story - is one of the few surviving human beings. This paper will compare the two novels according to some points of analysis. I had to confine myself to a few themes as it is impossible to include all topics that could be of importance. To start with, I will take a look at the social and political background of the time the novels were written in, followed by a generic analysis of the works. Secondly I will answer the question about the inspiration for these novels and I will deal with the epilogues Atwood added to her books. This will be followed by a chapter about the main topics of the novels which are reproduction, religion and sexuality. Last but not least I will compare the main characters an

Secondly I will answer the question about the inspiration for these novels and I will deal with the epilogues Atwood added to her books."

The Handmaid's Tale and the Testaments Box Set

A box set of Margaret Atwood's bestselling companioned novels, The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments. In The Handmaid's Tale, environmental disasters and declining birthrates have led to a Second American Civil War and the rise of the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that enforces rigid social roles and enslaves the few remaining fertile women. Offred is one of these, a Handmaid bound to produce children for one of Gilead's Commanders. Deprived of her husband, her child, her freedom, and even her own name, Offred clings to her memories and her will to survive. In The Testaments, set more than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the Republic of Gilead maintains its repressive grip on power, but it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women come together, with potentially explosive results. This beautifully designed slipcase will make the perfect holiday and perennial gift.

A box set of Margaret Atwood's bestselling companioned novels, The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments."

The roles of women in "The Handmaid's Tale". A comparison between the relevance of the novel then and the series now

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,7, University of Freiburg, language: English, abstract: The aim of this thesis is to show that there is still a pressing relevance and a timely message behind the story of Margaret Atwood’s novel in regard to the roles of women. This relevance is especially connected with the gradual takeover of Gilead highlighted in the be- ginning and the unawareness of the people. The first chapter will provide a short insight into the story and the different categories of women presented in it. After that, the situation of women in the United States back in the 1980s shall be examined, in order to prove the topicality of the novel back then. In the next chapter, this thesis will move on to the series and take a look at the differences between the adaptation and the original. Having done so, the situation in the USA today will be taken into account. Thereby, it will be possible to show that the feminist background of The Handmaid’s Tale still meets with today’s society’s approval. Eventually, this paper will prove that The Handmaid’s Tale is still relevant today, as it has been in the 1980s, because it makes the reader aware of the subliminal fear of a possible backlash concerning women’s rights.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Didactics - English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,7, University of Freiburg, language: English, abstract: The aim of this thesis is to show that there is still a pressing relevance and a ..."

Margaret Atwood

In Vintage Living Texts teachers and students will find the essential guide to the works of Margaret Atwood. This guide will deal with her themes, genre and narrative technique, and a close reading of the texts will be accompanied with likely exam questions, and contexts and comparisons - as well as providing a rich source of ideas for intelligent and inventive ways of approaching the novels.

This exciting new series provides readers with an introduction to some of the best works in contemporary literature. Each is a guide to the works of the subject author, his or her themes, genre and narrative technique."

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood

The most supportive, easy-to-use and focussed literature guides to help your students understand the texts they are studying at GCSE and A Level

The most supportive, easy-to-use and focussed literature guides to help your students understand the texts they are studying at GCSE and A Level"

Dire Cartographies

In honor of the thirtieth anniversary of The Handmaid’s Tale: Margaret Atwood describes how she came to write her utopian, dystopian works. The word “utopia” comes from Thomas More’s book of the same name—meaning “no place” or “good place,” or both. In “Dire Cartographies,” from the essay collection In Other Worlds, Atwood coins the term “ustopia,” which combines utopia and dystopia, the imagined perfect society and its opposite. Each contains latent versions of the other. Following her intellectual journey and growing familiarity with ustopias fictional and real, from Atlantis to Avatar and Beowulf to Berlin in 1984 (and 1984), Atwood explains how years after abandoning a PhD thesis with chapters on good and bad societies, she produced novel-length dystopias and ustopias of her own. “My rules for The Handmaid’s Tale were simple,” Atwood writes. “I would not put into this book anything that humankind had not already done, somewhere, sometime, or for which it did not already have the tools.” With great wit and erudition, Atwood reveals the history behind her beloved creations.

Following her intellectual journey and growing familiarity with ustopias fictional and real, from Atlantis to Avatar and Beowulf to Berlin in 1984 (and 1984), Atwood explains how years after abandoning a PhD thesis with chapters on good and ..."

The Handmaid's Tale Deluxe Edition

This beautiful edition of Margaret Atwood's seminal work of speculative fiction features a leatherette cover, gilt edging, and ribbon marker--a perfect gift for book lovers and fans of the Hulu series. The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, ..."

Religious Fundamentalism in Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,7, RWTH Aachen University (Institut f r Anglistik), course: Utopian and Dystopian Novels, SS 2008, 24 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Margaret Atwood needs no longer an introduction in the common sense, because she is one of the most popular and productive writers in the world. Her works, especially her novels are taught at many universities worldwide. Her books are bestsellers and subjects of critical reviews and academical studies. Margaret Atwood wrote her novel The Handmaid's Tale in a time when religious fundamentalism had already been established in the United States. Through this historical background and her own experience with religious fundamentalism and the rising of feminism, it is not surprising that her novels also deal with such a thematic aspects. Moreover, Atwood copies her own experiences and imaginations of religious fundamentalism into the fictive and futuristic world of Gilead.

Her books are bestsellers and subjects of critical reviews and academical studies. Margaret Atwood wrote her novel The Handmaid's Tale in a time when religious fundamentalism had already been established in the United States."

Language’s influence on control and rebellion in Margaret Atwood’s "The Handmaid’s Tale"

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, language: English, abstract: Overall, Atwood utilized Gilead’s oppressive manipulation of language in "The Handmaid’s Tale" to reveal the hierarchical dynamics of power in the theocratic state. Therefore, it is vital to determine in how far Gilead’s discourse is used to maintain the existing power structures, but also whether, and if so, in how far it is used to offer resistance against the state’s rigid hierarchy. Therefore, it will first be analyzed what Gilead’s social structure looks like, before the highly original thoughts of Pierre Bourdieu on the relations among language, power and politics will be introduced to facilitate a real understanding of the correlation of language and power. After that, a closer look at the concrete content of the novel and particular text passages will give an insight into how the Gileadean power structures are maintained through the use of language. Following this, it will then be analyzed how language also enables Gilead’s opponents, in general, but mainly, the novel’s first-person narrator Offred, in particular, to offer resistance. Therefore, it will first be described how the coexistence of two discourses can be a threat to the system, before it will be dealt with Offred’s main means of resistance: her storytelling.

After that, a closer look at the concrete content of the novel and particular text passages will give an insight into how the Gileadean power structures are maintained through the use of language."