ipl-logo

Narrative Conventions In The Handmaid's Tale

867 Words4 Pages

Introduction: The Handmaid's Tale, a novel written by Margaret Atwood, and its television adaptation, the first season of The Handmaid's Tale TV show, both employ narrative conventions to create speculative fiction. These works utilize their chosen mediums, namely the novel and television series, to effectively depict a dystopian society where reproductive rights are severely restricted and women are subjugated by a totalitarian regime. By analyzing the narrative conventions employed in each medium, we can gain insight into how these works create a speculative vision of the future. This analysis will explore the use of dystopian settings, first-person perspective, nonlinear narratives, symbolism and metaphor, and medium-specific conventions …show more content…

In the novel, Atwood incorporates Offred's memories and recollections, presenting them through flashbacks and nonlinear storytelling techniques. These glimpses into Offred's life before the rise of the regime not only deepen her characterization but also provide a contrasting perspective between the pre- and post-dystopian world. Similarly, the first season of the TV show utilizes flashbacks, dream sequences, and nonlinear storytelling to expand on the characters' histories and motivations. By employing this narrative convention, both mediums add layers of complexity to the narrative, inviting speculation and reflection on the world …show more content…

Visual storytelling, including cinematography, production design, and special effects, is utilized to create a vivid and immersive world. The visual medium allows viewers to see the dystopian society come to life, further intensifying the speculative nature of the narrative. Additionally, the episodic format of the TV show allows for serialized storytelling, which delves deeper into the characters' experiences and expands the narrative beyond the scope of the original novel. This adaptation and utilization of medium-specific conventions provide the TV show with the ability to explore the speculative aspects of the story in a unique and impactful

Show More
Related
825 Words | 4 Pages

The author uses frequent plot twists, sensory imagery, and expanded moments to create a story

Read More
139 Words | 1 Pages

The author has a unique way of placing the reader at the scene with his unique description of the setting around him. He also has a special way of describing the characters

Read More
543 Words | 3 Pages

O’Brien describes certain objects or events in his novels that can come only from memory not imagination. Tim O’Brien uses the rhetoric device of imagery to add a deeper truth to his novel and immerse the reader in the horrors of the

Read More
1108 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the protagonist, Offred, expresses her wish that her “story [is] different,” that it is “happier,” or at least “more active, less hesitant, less distracted” than it is ultimately portrayed (267). However, as her story is told, these characteristics are evident in the way she talks and acts, especially around those with authority. Hesitant to express her true thoughts and feelings, and distracted by memories from her previous life, Offred attempts to piece together her role in the society that has taken her freedom. The result is a compilation of moments, of memories, both from her present, her past, and even speculation about her future.

Read More
943 Words | 4 Pages

In the selected passage from The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood plays with character symbolism and imagery to explore key themes and ideas that are overarching in the novel. The main character, Offred, lives in a state structured around the sole goal of controlling reproduction, which is achieved through assuming the complete control of women’s bodies through their political subjugation. The passage follows Offred’s heightened sensitivity to sexuality as she passes through a flowered garden in the summer, descriptive imagery and symbolism at once emphasising femininity, and deeper implications as Atwood plays with character symbolism reinforcing key themes of patriarchy and the criminalisation of sexuality, both pervasive throughout the entire

Read More
480 Words | 2 Pages

The historical notes are really pushing the audience to think relative to the society they are examining. It is an old Greek philosophical method known as moral relativism. We live in a society that is founded on natural law which is considered to be god given or unalienable as the declaration states. Societal truths are based on the laws that govern the culture of society and decide what is right and wrong. There is a huge difference between natural law and code law.

Read More
1436 Words | 6 Pages

Offred struggles between her attraction to Nick and remaining faithful to Luke. In the end of the novel, Offred ends up giving in to her attraction to Nick, however she does not feel that she has betrayed Luke in any way. Both gentlemen fulfill needs of Offed at different times of her life. Luke only exists in her past life, and most of Offred’s memories with him are fading away as she struggles to remember certain details of her past. Offred thinks, “The fact is that I no longer want to leave, escape, cross the border to freedom.

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

In face of severe situation, people often feel relief when they think of happier, simpler times in order to alleviate the severity. In the fiction novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, written by Margaret Atwood, a theocracy government controls every aspect of life in order to produce the best result of its plans. At the beginning of chapter 12, Offred takes a required, but luxurious bath because she can take off the burdensome wings and veils. While she bathes, Offred remembers her daughter from the past and a time with her family. Atwood compares Offred’s past and present through imagery, tone, similes, and symbolism combined with parallel structure to highlight the vulnerability of women to their surroundings.

Read More
1410 Words | 6 Pages

This is depicted through various sub-parts in the novel. Narrated through the character of Offred, the novel even reflects back on her life and the events that have led to this bizarre

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

“It’s not a gun control problem, it’s a cultural problem. ”(Bob Barr). Gun related accidents are not necessarily caused by the guns themselves but by the people that use them irresponsibly. There are background checks to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands, but they have proven ineffective.

Read More
1107 Words | 5 Pages

Often, we see a society’s cultural values reflected in its citizens. For example, the United States values equality, a standard that is shared in all facets including gender. The opposite is true of Gilead, a fictional society in Emily Bronte’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The novel’s main character, Offred, is subjected to degrading treatment simply because she is a woman. It becomes apparent that this repeated degradation has affected the protagonist’s mind.

Read More
952 Words | 4 Pages

In Margaret Atwood’s novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Moira is depicted as the symbol for resistance to authority and represents hope to the Handmaids. Atwood presents her as a polar opposite to Offred. She is independent, strong-willed, and outspoken. Conversely, the pair can be argued to be doubles in the fact that they both ‘resist’ to the oppressive Republic in Gilead.

Read More
1462 Words | 6 Pages

Offred also demonstrates resilience through her ability to adapt to her new environment. She learns to navigate the complex power dynamics of the household and the oppressive society she lives in. This is evident when Offred observes, "I've learned to live in the gaps between the stories. They give me a place to hide in" (Atwood 94). This shows that Offred has adapted to her new environment and learned to manipulate the information she has to her advantage.

Read More
1122 Words | 5 Pages

Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, argues that women are instruments of the patriarchy, that women know this, and that women allow the system of oppression to live on. Her fictions ask, “What stories do women tell about themselves? What happens when their stories run counter to literary conventions or society’s expectations?” (Lecker 1). The Handmaid’s Tale is told through the protagonist, Offred, and allows readers to follow through her life as a handmaid while looking back on how life used to be prior to the societal changes.

Read More
863 Words | 4 Pages

I have decided to transform Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel ‘The Handmaids Tale’ into a museum brochure that would be available long after the events in the book. The novel highlights a focus on the repression and domination of women for example “such freedom now seems weightless”. This is something I channelled into my museum brochure as it is a theme that is emphasised (example: “Women had one duty which was to reproduce”. Furthermore, I decided to incorporate a charity “US voice for all women” in which the museum regularly donates to. This is to emphasise the treatment of women within Gilead whilst still keeping to the genre format as through research I discovered many museums offer donations to charities they sponsor.

Read More

More about Narrative Conventions In The Handmaid's Tale

Related Topics

Open Document