Handmaids Tail Flashcards
(9 cards)
Chap 1
The novel opens with a haunting description of an old gymnasium that has been converted into a re-education center for women, known as the Red Center. Offred and other Handmaids are kept under strict control by Aunts, who enforce Gilead’s oppressive laws, and Angels, armed guards who stand watch outside. The Handmaids are forbidden from talking, but they silently communicate with one another using glances and gestures. At night, Offred remembers a time before Gilead, when life was free and normal.
Chap 2
Offred describes her living quarters in the home of the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy. She is confined to a small room with bare furnishings, symbolic of her lack of freedom. As a Handmaid, she wears the prescribed red dress and white wings (a bonnet that limits her vision), marking her as a reproductive vessel. She interacts briefly with Rita and Cora, the Marthas (household servants). Rita disapproves of Offred’s role, while Cora is slightly friendlier.
chap 3
Offred encounters Serena Joy in the garden. Once a famous televangelist who promoted traditional female roles, Serena is now bitter and resentful of Offred’s presence. She chain-smokes and curtly reminds Offred to stay out of her way, emphasizing that Offred is there only to conceive a child with the Commander.
Chap 4
While running errands, Offred walks with Ofglen, another Handmaid. They pass young Guardians of the Faith, who enforce Gilead’s laws. One Guardian, eager to impress, nearly salutes Offred but catches himself—interactions between men and women are strictly controlled.
Offred also notices Nick, the Commander’s chauffeur, who smirks at her in what could be a flirtation or a test. She wonders if he’s part of the Eyes (Gilead’s secret police), making her wary.
Chap 5
Offred reflects on how much has changed. She remembers shopping freely, wearing what she wanted, and having her own money. Now, she must carry shopping tokens (since women are forbidden from reading or handling money). She also recalls how Gilead stripped women of their rights overnight—bank accounts were frozen, jobs taken away, and men assumed control.
She notices two young girls in modest clothing and realizes they have never known any other life. She also sees Japanese tourists, shocked at their short skirts and freedom.
Chap 6
Offred and Ofglen visit the Wall, where bodies of executed criminals hang as a warning. Among them are men wearing white coats, likely doctors who performed abortions before Gilead. Seeing the bodies makes Offred feel numb—she knows she must not react.
As they walk away, Ofglen whispers, “Praise be”, a required greeting, but Offred wonders if she is part of the resistance.
Chap 7
At night, Offred secretly remembers her past. She recalls:
Her mother, a feminist activist who fought for women’s rights before Gilead.
Moira, her rebellious best friend.
Luke, her husband, and their child, who were taken from her when they tried to escape Gilead.
She longs for the time before, struggling to hold on to memories while being forced into submission.
Chap 8
On another walk with Ofglen, they see the Commander stepping out of his home—something unusual. He nods to Offred, which surprises her.
They also witness a black van belonging to the Eyes, Gilead’s secret police, arresting a man for unknown crimes. This reinforces how anyone can be taken at any time.
Ofglen subtly hints at a secret resistance but Offred is too afraid to respond.
Back at the house, Serena Joy insults Offred again. Nick later approaches her and cryptically says, “He wants to see you”, implying the Commander has requested a private meeting—something highly forbidden.
