The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Setting

• Set in the Republic of Gilead
• A theocratic and totalitarian nation that replaced the United States

Main Characters

• Offred: The protagonist, a handmaid in Gilead
• The Commander: Offred's assigned partner, part of the elite class
• Serena Joy: Wife of the Commander, former gospel singer and advocate for traditional values
• Aunt Lydia: In charge of indoctrinating women at the Red Center
• Offglen: Fellow handmaid and member of the resistance group, Mayday
• Moira: Offred's friend who escapes the Red Center
• Nick: The Commander's chauffeur and Offred's secret lover

Plot Summary

Life in Gilead

• Handmaids are tasked with bearing children for elite couples due to low reproductive rates
• Offred must partake in ritualistic childbearing ceremonies with the Commander while Serena watches
• Offred's movements and activities are heavily restricted; her life is surveilled by "the Eyes," Gilead's secret police

Offred's Past

• Was raised by a single mother who was a feminist activist
• Had an affair with Luke, who left his wife to marry Offred; they had a daughter
• Attempted to flee to Canada with her family but was caught and separated

Indoctrination and Assignment

• Sent to the Red Center for re-education, where women are taught that their only purpose is childbearing and care
• Assigned to the Commander and enters a restrictive routine
• Visits the wall to see bodies of rebels and the doctor for health checks

Secret Meetings and Resistance

• Offred begins secret meetings with the Commander in his study
  • They talk, play Scrabble, and Offred reads forbidden materials
• The Commander explains Gilead with the saying, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs"
• Offglen reveals she is part of Mayday, a revolutionary group

Serena's Suggestion and Offred's Affair

• Because Offred isn't getting pregnant, Serena suggests relations with Nick to cover the Commander's infertility
• Serena promises a picture of Offred's daughter in return
• Offred and Nick begin a secret affair

Jezebel's and Moira

• Commander takes Offred to Jezebel's, a secret strip club
• Offred finds Moira working there; she chose this over the Colonies

The Climax

• Offred learns her Offglen hung herself after being caught
• Serena discovers Offred went to Jezebel's and promises punishment
• The Eyes' van arrives, but Nick tells Offred it's Mayday in disguise
• Offred leaves, uncertain of her fate

The Future

• Flash forward to 2195, after Gilead's fall
• Professor Pieixoto lectures on Offred's story, found on cassette tapes
• Her ultimate fate remains unknown

Conclusion

• The novel explores themes of power, control, resistance, and identity through the dystopian lens of Gilead
• Offred's narrative provides a poignant commentary on societal issues related to women's rights and totalitarianism