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The Handmaid's Tale Chapter Analysis

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Discuss the importance of religion as a theme to the events, the characters and their actions in chapter 15. Religion is a key theme throughout Margaret Atwood’s novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, and features prominently in chapter 15. Other themes include those of corruption, desperation, and oppression, which are conveyed via the actions of key characters such as Moira and Serena Joy. Set in a religious society, the range of characters are each affected differently by the oppressive nature of the ruling religion. Chapter 15 focusses on how the ideology of Christianity is applied in Gilead, a theocracy, showing how the ceremony is ‘reluctantly’ adhered to by the Commander, someone who is supposed to be an example of a devout follower of religion, but is hypocritical in his own corruption and reluctance to comply with his own laws. The idea of corruption is evident in the very first description of the commander, in which Atwood uses the concrete noun ‘museum guard’ to describe his outward physical appearance. The noun ‘guard’ suggests he is smart and well-dressed, whilst being there for protection. The concrete noun ‘museum’ denotes a place in …show more content…

Whilst he is put in more of a position to fight this oppression, he does so in a self-centred way whilst taking advantage of the others around him. Atwood shows his unenthusiastic attitude towards the ceremony in the quote ‘as if reluctantly, [he] begins to read.’ The adverb of manner, ‘reluctantly’ is used to inform the reader of his perceived distaste for the ceremony. As Atwood has written the book in first person through the eyes of Offred, this must be conveyed through Offred’s internal monologue, allowing Atwood to suggest the perceived emotions of others through the protagonist. Religion and oppression link closely; this is the impression Atwood leaves her readers

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167 Words | 1 Pages

If Gerard was any other age than he is in that section of the story, the story would change dramatically. If Gerard was any younger it would be strange, because normally kids younger than three don’t understand what the military is and can't imagine like he did. From Page 8 it states this, “Sometimes the cart would be a tank, as he passes cautiously through rows of armed cling peaches and silent sentinels that looked like boxes of frosted flakes,” That would sound strange for a one or two year old to think wouldn't it. Also if Gerard was like 13 years old I think he would like helping his mom and not thinking in that mind set. From the book on page 8 also it states, “Gerald liked to pretend that he was driving a big, fine silver car down

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1310 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the protagonist Offred expresses how exposed beliefs and practices by the Gilead government affect the lives of Handmaids, relaying

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639 Words | 3 Pages

Outward conformity along with inward questioning, that is what the main character, presented in Margaret Artwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, has to undertake in order to survive in a theocratic society. Stepping out of line in any way risks your life, so in a place where freedom of speech and basic human right’s no longer apply, Offered must comply with whatever rules they have in place and pretend to agree with the system, but in the inside, she cannot help but think about her past life, her husband, her daughter, before everything began. Flashbacks are integrated in the novel to not only compare the old society with the new one, but to also demonstrate this fake conformity Offred has to display to others and her internal struggle with giving up on escaping the Republic or just accepting her fate and playing by

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419 Words | 2 Pages

The novel, The Handmaid's Tale, centers on a woman named Offred. She is abused of her body when she gets constantly raped in order to provide a child from her Commander and his wife. It burdens her life daily. Many literary elements are revealed through the novel such as symbolism ….. That come together to affect the story, and the reader.

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291 Words | 2 Pages

In a dark tale of oppression against women in a modern day dystopian America titled; The Handmaid’s Tale, author Margaret Atwood uses neologisms, biblical language, and language musings in order to demonstrate the significance of language in a community that does not allow it. As society relapsed into it’s outdated social norms, the novels protagonist; Offred, is left re-evaluating the interpretation of what some words used to mean. In fact, ‘salvage’; the act of rescuing or recovering to the reader, is a term used to refer to those being executed in the Republic of Gilead. Language is a important factor in this novel. Words can be changed in order to project a particular idea.

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1448 Words | 6 Pages

This acceptance of a new type of freedom highlights her unconscious conformity to her status and place in society and the definition of freedom (4a). In Gilead, Offred, and the other Handmaids are considered lower beings who “[are] the people who [are] not in the papers,” and “[live] in the blank white spaces at the edge of print” forced to have sexual intercourse to produce offspring. Offred believes that being invisible in her own society “[gives] [her] more freedom,” because she “‘[lives] in gaps between the stories,” forever forgotten. The freedom she finds in being invisible within her society epitomizes the distortion of her beliefs by the oppressive government. In a way, she is conforming to the totalitarian regime, one that strives to rid humans of freethinking by instilling their own beliefs and way of life.

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516 Words | 3 Pages

Ankita Singh Ms. Beca ENG4U1-02 15 January 2018 The Handmaid’s Tale Literary Paragraph Throughout the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, it is evident that being a man in Gilead is just as hard as being a woman in Gilead. Although most may disagree with this statement, many examples from the novel can be shown to prove this statement. Firstly, it is hard to be a man in Gilead because men are not allowed to act upon romantic feelings and have relationships.

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957 Words | 4 Pages

Atwood clearly emphasizes this point through the inclusion of Offred 's inner thoughts; which in turn, help to illuminate to the reader the process of this deterioration. Atwood also shows how the Republic of Gilead uses totalitarianism tactics, which parallel those used in North Korea, in order to remain in control. In The Handmaid’s tale, a dystopian novel, Margaret Atwood uses imagery and allusion throughout the novel to illustrate how the republic of Gilead uses techniques to deteriorate one 's mind in order to maintain their power. Throughout the dystopian country

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173 Words | 1 Pages

In the dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood illustrates the consequences of suppressive gender roles and norms. Set in the 1990s, The Handmaid’s Tale takes the reader through the life of a woman serving as a handmaid for her final time. Through Offred’s narration, the rise of the Gileadean society and downfall of the American society is revealed. Offred’s responsibility as a fertile woman in Gilead is to be a handmaid and her only purpose is to conceive children. Offred soon gets comfortable in the new society because of her new commander which ultimately leads to her downfall.

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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.

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1107 Words | 5 Pages

Further in the novel, we see Offred’s moral traits become even more compromised by her surroundings. When a black van with an eye painted on it drives by her, Offred’s fears that “there must have been microphones, they’ve heard us after all” (Bronte 169). Living in Gilead has taught her to fear her opinions of the society; those before her who rebelled all ended dead. When the police drag a man to the car and brutalize him, Offred’s first feeling is relief and says “What I feel is relief. It wasn’t me.”

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801 Words | 4 Pages

There are two ways people will react to when their freedom is taken away. They will either accept it or rebel against it, which is what a lot of the female characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale accomplished. Shown through Offred’s repetition of certain events, Moira’s tone of being a fighter, and Serena Joy’s desperation, the reader can see that lack of freedom leads to rebellion. Offred, the novel’s narrator, now lives in a world where women are powerless. She has had her freedom taken away, and at times follows the rules, but ends up rebelling in many powerful ways.

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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.

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711 Words | 3 Pages

Rebellion in The Handmaid’s Tale Imagine not being able to do what you used to do because some actions are forbidden in this new society. In the Handmaid's Tale, Gilead is a dystopian society where people are limited to certain actions. Throughout the story, Offred’s actions are rebellious because she has broken so many rules. Atwood demonstrates that restricted expression leads to rebellion by showing the Commanders and Offred’s affair developing throughout time and the actions of both characters.

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988 Words | 4 Pages

In the 1980s, United States was experiencing the rise of conservatism. Under the presidency of Ronald Reagan, conservative religious groups were gaining popularity. In response to the social and political landscape, Canadian author Margaret Atwood published a fictional novel The Handmaid’s Tale in 1986; a genre of dystopian novels. The storyline projects an imaginary futuristic world where society lives under oppression and illusion of a utopian society maintained through totalitarian control. Dystopian novels often focus on current social government trends and show an exaggeration of what happens if the trends are taken too far.

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