Revision Cards - The Handmaid's Tale: A Level, Key extracts

At this point, Offred describes the gymnasium where she trained as Handmaid. Read from: ‘We slept in,’ to ‘from their leather belts’ (pp. 13–14).
WHY is it important? The opening does much to set the tone, with a disturbing sense of a world utterly changed. Reference to weapons and guards creates menace; they are the first hints of a dystopian society.
WHAT theme does it explore? Ideas of imprisonment are immediately present; there is a strong sense of system and control under the new regime.
HOW does it work within the narrative? The novel opens in media res – in the middle of the action. The reader asks questions: how and why has everything changed? This sets up the novel to fill in the gaps using flashback.
WHAT language techniques does it employ? The text is palimpsestic – original detail has been overwritten but still shows as faint traces. Description uses sound, smell and colour to create a vivid sense of a life and time now lost.

Key extracts

The Handmaid's Tale: A Level

At this point, Offred and Ofglen visit the Wall, where bodies are displayed. Read from: ‘What they are hanging from’ to ‘These are not snowmen after all.’ (p. 42).
WHY is it important? The bodies of hanged men are a disturbing visual reminder of the brutality that lies behind Gilead. Offred also fears that this might have been Luke’s fate, which emphasises the anguish she feels.
WHAT theme does it explore? Identity is explored: the concealed faces of the men and the description that objectifies them remind us that in Gilead identity is stripped away. The theme of survival is also relevant.
HOW does it work within the narrative? This is the first indication in the text of the fear that permeates life in Gilead. Placed immediately following mundane details of shopping and an encounter with tourists, it shocks.
WHAT language techniques does it employ? The hooks are described using impersonal, factual detail which emphasises Offred’s shock. Imagery is used to compare the bodies to inanimate objects.

Key extracts

The Handmaid's Tale: A Level

At this point, Offred has been summoned to the Commander’s study, to find that he wants her to play Scrabble with him. Read from ‘I’d like you to play a game’ to ‘acid on the tongue, delicious’ (pp. 148–9).
WHY is it important? In Gilead, reading and writing is forbidden territory for women. Here, the Scrabble game is described in terms of a delightful freedom to indulge once more in words.
WHAT theme does it explore? Ideas of identity are present – in a literate society, words are the means by which we define ourselves. Psychological survival is relevant: the letters symbolise freedom of expression for Offred.
HOW does it work within the narrative? The Scrabble game is a crossing point: the Commander has compromised himself by sharing something forbidden with Offred. In a small way, she is empowered.
WHAT language techniques does it employ? The Scrabble counters are described in sensual detail using texture and taste. The words Offred spells use a rich mix of consonance and sibilance.

Key extracts

The Handmaid's Tale: A Level

At this point, Offred describes the flowers growing as spring moves into summer. Read from: ‘Well. Then we had the irises’ to ‘this liquid ripeness’ (pp. 161–2).
WHY is it important? The description of Serena’s garden can be viewed as feminised language which articulates a voice of protest in patriarchal Gilead. The narrative evokes a strong sense of Offred as a sensual woman.
WHAT theme does it explore? Issues of freedom and imprisonment are strong, as are ideas of resistance: Offred’s words are freedom of expression.
HOW does it work within the narrative? References to nature, growth and fertility occur throughout the narrative; they can be seen as a female voice that insists on being heard.
WHAT language techniques does it employ? Natural imagery and the use of the senses evoke a sense of fertility. Sibilance is used to link the sensuality of the natural world with that of words.

Key extracts

The Handmaid's Tale: A Level

At this point, Offred has learned that Ofglen hanged herself. Read from: ‘I stand a moment’ to ‘I feel, for the first time, their true power.’ (p. 298).
WHY is it important? This moment is significant because in spite of her efforts to resist the regime, terror finally takes hold of Offred and, desperate to survive, she capitulates.
WHAT theme does it explore? The theme of survival is important: Offred is reduced to pleading for her life. Ideas of political power are relevant – this moment highlights how control through fear can break down resistance.
HOW does it work within the narrative? This is a moment of climax; it back-references the previous occupant of Offred’s room, and the bodies of the hanged men and women that Offred has seen.
WHAT language techniques does it employ? Short sentences evoke a sense of breathlessness and panic. References to mundane detail from the early sections show Offred’s attempt to steady herself. Repetition is used to stress her capitulation.

Key extracts

The Handmaid's Tale: A Level

A Level Study Notes and Revision Guides