The Handmaid’s Tail

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

The Handmaid’s Tale

What is it based on and why is it written?

On which totalitarian regime(s) is Gilead based?

Iran (after 1979)

Soviet Union (1924-1953)

Nazi- Germany (1933-1945)

Apartheid in South Africa (1948-1994)

Puritan America ( 17th century)

Atwood portrays  an extreme religious regime in The Handmaid's Tale. Why?

TRUE

FALSE

Atwood's novel critiques how religious rhetoric can be weaponized to limit freedom

Atwood suggests that Christianity should be entirely rejected to achieve freedom

Atwood's work serves as a warning about the potential for religious extremism to undermine democratic principles and civil liberties

What are characteristics of postmodern literature?

1. Fragmentation
2. Optimism and faith in progress
3. Relativity of truth
4. Irony

Postmodernism in The Handmaid's Tale

• Fragmentation 
• Relativity of truth
• Ironic criticism
• Intertextuality
• Blurry lines between fiction and reality

What are characteristics of a dystopia?

1. Economic prosperity
2. Dehumanization
3. Surveillance and control
4. Propaganda and misinformation

Dystopia in The Handmaid's Tale

• Propaganda and misinformation
• Surveillance and control


• Dehumanization
• Loss of individual freedom
• Governmental oppression

The second wave of feminism fought for equal rights in various areas. In The Handmaid's Tale, the right to equal treatment is completely undermined, as women in Gilead are confined with often subordinate roles. Why did Atwood do this?

TRUE

FALSE

The book highlights the dangers of losing more women rights

Criticizes societies that unjustly oppress or exclude women

It serves as a warning about the consequences of gender inequality and the importance of safeguarding women's rights.