1. The Handmaid’s Tale
as a
Dystopian Novel
By: Jessica Hagood
Ian Martineau
Daniel Nolfi

2.  The novel takes place in the United States.
 It is during a time when the government has
been destroyed.
 Many women are infertile.
 Women may not own anything.
 This system has happened gradually.


3.  TheStatus of the Individual
The main character has a low status
 The Nature of Power
Power resides in one corrupt dictator or an
entire corrupt government
 Communication
Poor, artificial communication, another
method of control

4.  Offred is portrayed as low status by:
 She must go places in two’s.
 She is not allowed to touch anyone.
 She is controlled by Serena Joy.
 She is limited in speaking and may not read or
write.

5.  Power is divided by:
 People are broken up into clearly defined classes
that have names.
 Each class has a certain power over one another.
 The Eyes are the commanding force.
 Even though each group has its own power, no
one truly has that much power.

6.  Communication is limited by:
 Handmaids must watch what they say and when
they say it.
 People fear that there are microphones listening
to what they say.
 There are no more newspapers or magazines.
 T.V. is regulated, and they only show positive
aspects of the war.

7.  Exaggerates modern trends towards their most extreme
conclusions. Often, this serves as a warning to the reader.
 Transformation of social structure into a rigid class system.
The presence of a tyrannically government that controls all
aspects of a society.
 In a Dystopian novel the populace is under constant surveillance by
said tyrannical state.
 Rigid rules and restriction of freedom to achieve idealized society.
Often times these rules go against basic human nature.
Other Examples of Dystopian Genre:
George Orwell, “1984”
Aldous Huxley, “A Brave New World”

8.  Caste System: People are prescribed to rigid roles in
Gilead. Women especially are divided into different
classes which severely limit their rights.
 “It was after the catastrophe, when they shot the
president and machine-gunned the Congress and the
army declared a state of emergency" (Atwood 174) .
 The fundamentalists first kill those in power to
destabilize the government and then enact martial
law.
 After “temporarily suspending the constitution” and
burning all of the books they have complete
intellectual power over the people.
 Aim to rid their society of abortion, free-thinkers and any
religions apart from their own perverse version of
Christianity.

9. Women take on matronly roles as…
 Commanders’ Wives
 Handmaids
 Marthas
 Econowives
 Unwomen
 Unbabies

10. Men take on leadership and “in control” roles…
 Commanders
 Angels
 Eyes
 Guardians

11.  Red: Handmaids
 Faster heartbeat and breathing (life)
 Blue: Wives
 Sad and depressing
 Green: Marthas
 Calm and relaxing
 Black: Eyes
 Authority and power. Implies submission
 Stripes: Econowives
 Mix of all colors

12.  http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.ht
ml
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A510922
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/23491711/print
-of-handmaids-tale
 http://www.mindfully.org/Technology/2005/
Surveillance-Orwell-Business8aug05.htm
 http://www.operajaponica.org/archives/lon
don/londonletterpast03.htm
 http://schol.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/the
mes-in-the-handmaids-tale/