The Handmaids Tale Flashcards
Characters (13 cards)
Major Plot Elements:
Main Conflict
Main events
Outcome/ending
Main conflict:
Offred, a Handmaid in the totalitarian theocracy of Gilead, struggles to survive and retain her identity while being forced to bear children for the ruling class. The main conflict is between individual autonomy and state control, particularly over women’s bodies.
Main events:
- Offred’s daily life as a Handmaid, flashbacks to her life before Gilead
- Her secret meetings with the Commander
- Her alliance with Nick, and her involvement with the resistance (Mayday).
- Key events include:
The Ceremony (ritualized sexual acts)
Her forbidden relationship with Nick
Her exposure to the underground world of Jezebels
Outcome/ending: The novel ends ambiguously as Offred is taken away by men who may be either agents of the state or members of the resistance. Her fate is left uncertain
Themes
- Gender and Power: The novel critiques the ways in which patriarchal societies control and oppress women, especially through reproductive rights.
- Rebellion and Resistance: Characters resist Gilead’s regime in both overt and subtle ways, from Moira’s escape to Offred’s small acts of defiance
Symbols
- The Color Red: The Handmaids’ red garments symbolize both fertility and sexual sin, highlighting their role as child-bearers and their ambiguous moral status in Gilead.
- The Eyes: Gilead’s secret police, symbolizing constant surveillance and the loss of privacy and freedom
Point of View
- First-person narrative from Offred’s perspective, blending present events with memories and flashbacks
Characters
Offred
Serena Joy
The Commander
Nick
Ofglen
Aunt Lydia
Moira
Janine
Offred
- Protagonist and narrator
- Resilient, introspective, cautious
- Handmaid in Gilead
- Struggles with loss and oppression
- Secretly rebellious, longing for freedom
Serena Joy
- Wife of the Commander
- Bitter, controlling, proud
- Former televangelist and public figure
- Frustrated by her limited role in Gilead
- Complex mix of vulnerability and cruelty
The Commander
- High-ranking official in Gilead
- Authoritative, manipulative, conflicted
- Holds power but engages in secret, forbidden acts
- Represents patriarchal control and hypocrisy
Nick
- Guardian and driver for the Commander
- Mysterious, loyal, protective
- Possible member of the resistance
- Romantic interest of Offred
- Ambiguous motives
Ofglen
- Fellow Handmaid and Offred’s shopping partner
- Brave, secretive, determined
- Member of the underground resistance (Mayday)
- Represents hope and rebellion
Aunt Lydia
- Enforcer and trainer of Handmaids
- Strict, cruel, zealous
- Uses psychological manipulation and punishment
- Embodies Gilead’s oppressive ideology
Moira
- Offred’s best friend from before Gilead
- Bold, rebellious, independent
- Escapes from Gilead’s control multiple times
- Symbol of resistance and defiance
Janine
- Fellow Handmaid
- Fragile, traumatized, vulnerable
- Subject to mental breakdowns due to abuse
- Represents the psychological toll of Gilead’s regime
