The Handmaid’s Tale

Chapters 9,10,11: The Handmaid’s Tale : 

Chapter 9 :

On page 56, Offred says ‘I am trying not to tell stories’.  Look up what to tell stories means… and comment on why she uses these words.

To tell stories means to relate events, but it also means to tell lies

Offred uses these words because she’s warning the readers that it is her opinion/ point of view of the story and that it’s impossible to be objective

Atwood reminds us that every book reflects the writer’s point of view

What do we find out about Luke and about Offred’s relationship with him in this chapter ?

Luke was Offred’s husband and father of her daughter

Luke was married when he met Offred and they had an affair so they committed adultery

In Gilead you may not get divorced, marriage is sacred, so they committed a sin so that might be why the child got taken away

Who wrote ‘Nolite te bastardes carborundorum’ ? What could it mean ?

The previous Offred wrote it

It could be  seen as some kind of sign of rebellion “don’t let the bastards bring you down or grind you down”

Rita says ,when Offred ask about the previous handmaids, that what you don’t know won’t hurt you so we can assume she met a sticky end and that something bad happened

Chapter 10 :

What does the portmanteau word ‘pornomarts’ suggest about the society which existed before Gilead ?

A pornomart is a massive shop where you can find pornography. The previous regime that was before Gilead was filled with depravity and sexual freedom. It was not safe, there were quite a lot of violent sexual crimes.

In the shop, a women tried to steal Luke’s baby because fertility is not what it used to be, women are desperate to have babies

On page 63 Offred speaks of a cushion with the word ‘Faith’ on it.  Read this extract from Corinthians : New International Version

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Comment on what statement this makes about Gilead and about Offred.

There’s no love in Gilead, because every relationship is forced, the only thing that remains is faith, for people of Gilead  faith  in God, but for Offred faith in herself, her abilities to survive.

Chapter 11:

Offred goes to the doctor, this visit is now compulsory and

He makes an offer to get her pregnant, and he says “he will never know” the commander, so he uses the forbidden word that the commander could be sterile

Offred says she would have to think about it and the doctor seems a bit disappointed. Offred is not sure that it’s not a trap, and it’s a no win situation for her, both of them would be killed if they are caught but if she says no the doctor could say that she’s infertile and she could get send to the colonies. It’s an abuse of power by the doctor, and it’s a dilemma for Offred.

If this chapter were a self-contained short story, what in your opinion would be the significant points to emerge?  Can you think of any other plays/ films/ books/ series which also discuss moral dilemmas and choices?

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