The Handmaid's Tale: Plot, Legacy, and Facts

Introduction

• The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, published in 1985.
• Set in New England, it describes a theocratic regime in the former United States called the Republic of Gilead.
• The regime was established in response to a fertility crisis and is governed by Christian fundamentalist principles.

Plot Summary

Main Characters

• Offred: The protagonist and narrator, a Handmaid in Gilead.
• Luke: Offred's husband before Gilead's regime.
• Moira: Offred's university friend and fellow Handmaid.
• Commander Fred: Offred's assigned Commander.
• Serena Joy: The Commander's Wife, a former televangelist singer.
• Nick: The Commander's chauffeur and Offred's love interest.
• Ofglen: Offred's shopping partner and member of the resistance.

Setting and Society

• Gilead is a theocratic society with rigid class distinctions.
• Women's roles are strictly defined: Wives, Marthas (housekeepers), and Handmaids (breeding women).
• The regime does not acknowledge male sterility; infertility is blamed on women.
• Secret police known as "Eyes" monitor citizens.
• Unconforming individuals are sent to labor camps called Colonies.

Plot Details

• Offred's life is split between present experiences and past recollections.
• She was a librarian before being forced into the role of a Handmaid.
• Handmaids are named after their Commanders, e.g., "Of Fred" becomes Offred.
• Offred's monthly duty is "The Ceremony," a ritual to impregnate her by the Commander.
• She develops a personal relationship with the Commander, who secretly invites her to play Scrabble.
• Offred discovers an underground resistance but is betrayed by the new Ofglen.
• She engages in a secret affair with Nick, possibly to conceive a child.
• Offred's fate remains uncertain as she is taken away by supposed resistance fighters.
• The story is later revealed to be historical tapes discussed in a future symposium.

Legacy and Adaptations

• Literary Impact: Widely discussed in literature classes, often challenged due to its themes.
• Awards: Won the 1985 Governor General's Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 1986 Booker Prize.
• Adaptations:
  • 1990 film adaptation with a screenplay by Harold Pinter.
  • Opera composed by Poul Ruders, premiered in 2000.
  • Ballet performed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 2013.
  • Acclaimed TV series debuted on Hulu in 2017, with Atwood as a consulting producer.
  • Sequel novel "The Testaments" released in 2019.

Key Themes

• Control and Oppression: The regime's control over women's bodies and identities.
• Resistance and Rebellion: Characters' various forms of resistance against the oppressive society.
• Identity and Autonomy: Struggles over personal identity and autonomy in totalitarian settings.
• Historical Parallels: Atwood drew from real historical events such as Puritanism in New England.

These notes provide a comprehensive overview of "The Handmaid's Tale," capturing the core narrative, character dynamics, societal structure, thematic elements, and its impact and adaptations over time.