The Handmaid's Tale: Chapters 46 Summary & Analysis

Summary

Chapter 4

• Offred notices Nick washing the Commander's car, and he winks at her, which she fears might be a test.
• Handmaids, Offred and Ofglen, travel in pairs for shopping.
• Ofglen mentions the war going well and a victory over Baptist rebels.
• At a checkpoint, young Guardians shoot a Martha, suspecting a bomb threat.
• Offred flirts subtly with a Guardian, aware of men's sexual repression.

Chapter 5

• Reveals the society's name: The Republic of Gilead.
• Offred recalls pre-Gilead freedoms vs. current 'freedom from' dangers.
• Shopping locations have pictorial signs due to literacy bans.
• Offred recognizes Janine, now Ofwarren, flaunting her pregnancy.
• Remembers life with husband Luke and daughter.
• Encounter with Japanese tourists highlights cultural differences and surveillance.

Chapter 6

• Offred and Ofglen take a detour past an old church, now a museum.
• They pass by the Wall where executed criminals hang with signs of their crimes.
• The bodies indicate retroactive punishment for pre-Gilead abortions.

Analysis

Theocratic Society

• Gilead is a theocracy, where religion and state are inseparable.
• Biblical language permeates society (e.g., Guardians, Angels, store names).

Religious and Political Oppression

• Gilead's society reflects a mix of Protestant values with Old Testament emphasis.
• Women are oppressed in the name of God, with control over their bodies and rights.

Setting

• Gilead is situated in what was Cambridge, Massachusetts, reflecting Puritanical roots.
• The transformation of old buildings into museums underscores reverence for past oppressive societies.

Themes

• Intersection of religion, politics, and control over women's bodies.
• Utilizes Harvard's historical Puritanism as a backdrop for Gilead's society.

For further insights and thematic exploration, refer to links provided in the original text on SparkNotes.