A Critic's Critique

Wow! The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood was a marvelous selection of literature to read. Atwood put so much detail in the whole story it just made the reader want to read and read and read more. One interesting thing was how she gave Offred and Ofglen their names. The names are possessive prepositions with of *insert the Commander's name*. The whole plot line was thoroughly enjoyable and never boring. It is an interesting concept that a country's government can become that manipulative. Overall The Handmaid's Tale is a story of horrible politics and can be thought of as a cliff-hanger by how the story ends, for we do not find out what happens to Offred. Bravo to Atwood for this amazing, satirical story she presents the world.

This novel deserves 4 stars.

Some More After Thoughts of The Handmaid's Tale

This book is 311 pages long.

The moral is that the government should not be as controlling in matters of personal relationships like marriages or affairs. Also the government should not be able to make men superior to women because it is just unfair, and people are supposed to be equal right? Yes, therefore, the theme is the government needs make sure everyone is equal no matter their personal affairs.

Discussion Questions

Do you think this dytopia could actually occur in our modern world? and why or why not?

Do you think Offred was able to escape to Canada and explain your reasoning.

This story has some Biblical references. Name one of them and explain why it is important.

How do you think the government could have done things differently after the President's Day Massacre?

About Margaret Atwood

Margaret Eleanor Atwood was born on November 18, 1939, in Canada. She is a feminist, poet, and social campaigner. She has won countless awards such as Arthur C. Clarke Award and Prince of Asturias award for literature. Atwood has written several notable works like The Blind Assassin and Cat's Eye. Also, Atwood like her novels is vividly involved with politics; she is apart of the Green Party of Canada. She was married and divorced to Jim Polk and is now in a relationship with Graeme Gibson.

Historical Event: Women Going to Work Outside the Home.

Our new idea of government is BRILLIANT! Make women subservient of mankind because we all know they are just here to do domestic and reproductive chores. We need to get back to the olden days of moms like Mrs. Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. She was the idolized mom then and now we need her back! Since when can woman step out of the kitchen and go work in offices. This is not right! We need to go back to how God wanted it to be. Women under men.

It all started during the 1940's when we entered World War II. We needed men to go over seas to fight the Nazi, so we had the women come work in the factories. And they decided to never go back to their domesticated duties. When the men came home they had no were to go; they had to fight for a place in the factories while some even picked up the domestic duties in place of there wives.

This process continued for years, but than after the horrible event with the President and senate members' deaths we changed things! We made them lower than us. Some of the females were given to Commanders as handmaids (employed as walking ovaries) so we could rebuild the population. Not only did we make them reproduction tools, but they also did not have one freedom left in the world. Females could not own property or read. Since according to the great Fredrick Judd" 'Our big mistake was teaching them to read. We won't do that again.'" (Atwood 307). Judd was also the great man that created particicution (handmaids rip men, who did bad thing, apart) and is credited with the attack called the President's Day Massacre. The lower class of Gilead is so unintelligent that they actually believe that it was Muslim terrorists.

All was right in the world...well at least the Republic of Gilead.


Another event in history that is alluded to in The Handmaid's Tale is the Underground Railroad. The Underground Femaleroad (also connected to the Mayday Underground) did the same thing for women as it did for slaves.