Book Analysis: The Handmaid's Tale

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Monica Onstot Miss Shrader Dual Credit English 15 September 2015 The Duties of a Handmaid The Handmaid’s Tale is written by Margaret Atwood. It takes place in an American city that has been overthrown and now is called Gilead. Atwood writes the story from a first person point of view. The United States of America has been taken over by people running a new order called the Republic of Gilead. They killed the President and the members of Congress. The Gilead took over at a time when women were being disrespected. They could not have jobs or own land. Offred was captured and turned into a handmaid. Population and fertility rates were at an all-time low when Gilead took over. Handmaids’ job is to bear kids for couples. Offred isn’t our character’s …show more content…

It is there that they will learn and adjust to being a handmaid. Aunt Lydia is in charge at the center. She helps convince the girls that they are more protected and respected now. Moira sneaks out of the center to escape. Offred doesn’t know what happened to her after she escaped. Offred is assigned to be the handmaid for the Commander and Serena, his wife. Every month when Offred is fertile in her point of her menstrual cycle, she is forced to have sex with the Commander. He reads them the Bible before they have sex. When they sleep together, Serena holds Offred’s hands during it. No one says a word while they have sex. This is called The Ceremony. Offred doesn’t have freedom when she’s a handmaid. She can only leave the house for shopping trips. While she’s in her room, the door can’t be closed. Gilead has a secret police force called the Eyes. They watch the handmaids all the time while they’re in public. Offred goes on shopping trips with Ofglen. She is another handmaid. Offred has to go to the doctor often. They check for any kind of sickness, diseases, or other problems. When the doctor realizes that Offred hasn’t gotten pregnant yet, he thinks the Commander could be infertile. The doctor tells Offred that he could get her pregnant and she could just say it is the Commander’s baby. Offred turns down the …show more content…

She’s told to get pregnant with him and just pretend it is the Commander’s baby. Nick and Offred start having sex together a lot. Ofglen tells Offred that she is a part of Mayday. This is a secret group trying to end Gilead. There is an execution of a handmaid that was accused of being a rapist. The other handmaids all have to take part in it. Ofglen hits her first but then said she was a part of Mayday and she didn’t want her to suffer anymore. A new Ofglen shows up to the next shopping trip. Offred is told the old one hanged herself. She thought the secret police of Gilead were coming for

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