The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood

Plot (List 7 - 12 major events)

• The Constitution has been abandoned. Women are no longer allowed to have credit cards, homes of their own or paying jobs. The men have taken over completely. Women aren't allowed to read or write or do anything they want. Offred, whose real name is not really Offred, chose to be a Handmaid (which is explained below). What she gets in return is food and a home. Nothing else. This is the future where no one can make their own decisions, women are prisoners, and no one can own anything -- no one takes anything for granted because as soon as they do, it disappears
• Offred is living in the Comander's house, desperately hoping to have his child, but she has little success. She goes to the market almost every day on errands (fetching food and whatnot). This is really her only exercise.
• One day, as Offred is leaving for the market, she stops and has this "moment" with Nick, the Commander's driver. They look at each other and then he whistles at her, which is illegal. Men aren't allowed to whistle at women anymore. It's just one of those things that empowers women and that is a big No No.
• One night, Offred is in her room and she gets sick. She throws up some blood in the wardrobe, but when Cora comes in the next morning with a breakfast tray, Offred tells her that she just fainted; that nothing was wrong.

Characters (list 3 - 8 characters, with descriptive info on each)

• Offred - The main character of the story and the narrator. She is a Handmaid, which is a woman who is hired by husbands who can't get their wives pregnant. They're basically surrogate mothers. Having a child is a miraculous thing in this book. Offred's only hope right now is to get pregnant with the Commander's child because that's all she's valued for.
• The Commander - You don't learn a lot about the Commander in the beginning of the book. So far, he's not an awful man. He's kind to Offred. They don't talk or anything. He just gives her the space she's entitled.
• The Commander's Wife - Formerly known as Serena Joy. She used to be a singer, but she gave it up to make speeches. Now she's just the Commander's Wife and all she's entitled is the garden in the backyard.
• Aunt Lydia - She's an older woman who taught Offred how to be a Handmaid. Throughout the book, Offred refers back to Aunt Lydia, quoting her about significant things being said in the book.
• Luke - Offred's husband, who is still alive, but you don't know where he is or what happened to him at this point in the book.
• Rita - The cook in the Commander's house. She's called a Martha.
• Cora - 
• Ofglen - Handmaid's are only allowed to have one other companion when they leave the houses they "work" in. Ofglen is Offred's companion whenever they leave their houses to go to the market. They run errands for their employers such as buying groceries. In the beginning, they do not say much to each other, but as times passes, they discover that they have more in common than they thought.

Settings (list 3 - 5 settings, with descriptive info. on each)

• setting 1
• setting 2
• setting 3

Conflicts (identify 3 - 4 major conflicts and explain the importance of each)

• confict 1
• conflict 2
• conflict 3

Themes  (identify 3 - 4 major themes and explain the basis of each)

• theme 1
• theme 2
• theme 3

Symbolism (identify 3 - 4 symbols and provide an interpretation of each)

• symbol 1
• symbol 2
• symbol 3

Commentary (express your opinions about the book here)

• opinion 1
• opinion 2
• opinion3