Chapter 27

Test yourself

Chapter 27 - Summary

Time shifts to the middle of summer and Offred and Ofglen are shopping again.

Shopping and the Wall

They buy fish which is becoming extinct and Offred has a memory of her daughter buying ice cream in one of these now-gone shops.
As they pass the Wall, they see new bodies hanging. Offred remembers that behind the Wall was a large University library, which is now illegal to enter.

Soul Scrolls

They pass the shop called Soul Scrolls. These are machines which print out and read aloud prayers for people who can afford this service.
The commodification of such a sacred act makes both Handmaids admit to each other, secretly, that these prayers would never be heard by God.

Ofglen's confession

Ofglen then admits to Offred that she is part of an underground resistance group, but this secret is interrupted by a black van pulling up and Eyes rushing out to grab a man off the street.
This outlines the danger of such rebellious activities and Offred is relieved that she has not been captured.

Chapter 27 - Key Quotations

Here are 6 key quotations from Chapter 27:

Loaves and Fishes...Siamese"

"Loaves and Fishes"
- This refers to the feeding of the 5,000 in the Bible. Jesus managed to feed 5,000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. There is barely any food in Gilead because humans have destroyed the environment and over-fished.
"Siamese twins"
- This refers to Ofglen and Offred and reminds us of the theme of doubles.
"Now it's treason"
- Free speech is forbidden in Gilead.

"Vanities...there's a we"

"Vanities... shut down"
- Gilead has banned things like cosmetics and jewellery that women may have wanted to buy.
There's an us then, there's a we"
- Offred has a chance of being part of a community - opposing the faceless beings who rule Gilead.

"Hope"

"Hope is rising in me, like sap in a tree"
- This garden image implies restored life. Hope was one of the words on the cushions taken from Offred's room. This symbolises Gilead's attempts to take hope away from the Handmaids' lives.

1Author Background

1.1Margaret Atwood

1.1.1Margaret Atwood

2Chapter Summaries

2.1Chapter 1: Night I

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II

2.2.1Chapter 2

2.2.2Chapter 3

2.2.3Chapter 4

2.2.4Chapter 5

2.2.5Chapter 6

2.3Chapter 7: Night II

2.3.1Chapter 7

2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV

2.4.1Chapter 8

2.4.2Chapter 9

2.4.3Chapter 10

2.4.4Chapter 11

2.4.5Chapter 12

2.5Chapter 13: Nap V

2.5.1Chapter 13

2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI

2.6.1Chapter 14

2.6.2Chapter 15

2.6.3Chapter 16

2.6.4Chapter 17

2.7Chapter 18: Night VII

2.7.1Chapter 18

2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII

2.8.1Chapter 19

2.8.2Chapter 20

2.8.3Chapter 21

2.8.4Chapter 22

2.8.5Chapter 23

2.9Chapter 24: Night IX

2.9.1Chapter 24

2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X

2.10.1Chapter 25

2.10.2Chapter 26

2.10.3Chapter 27

2.10.4Chapter 28

2.10.5Chapter 29

2.11Chapter 30: Night XI

2.11.1Chapter 30

2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII

2.12.1Chapter 31

2.12.2Chapter 32

2.12.3Chapter 33

2.12.4Chapter 34

2.12.5Chapter 35

2.12.6Chapter 36

2.12.7Chapter 37

2.12.8Chapter 38

2.12.9Chapter 39

2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII

2.13.1Chapter 40

2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV

2.14.1Chapter 41

2.14.2Chapter 42

2.14.3Chapter 43

2.14.4Chapter 44

2.14.5Chapter 45

2.15Chapter 46: Night XV

2.15.1Chapter 46

2.16Historical Notes

2.16.1Historical Notes

3Dedications & Epigraph

3.1Dedications & Epigraph

3.1.1Dedications

3.1.2Epigraph

4Context

4.1Setting

4.1.1Setting

4.2Literary Context & Genre

4.2.1The Canterbury Tales & The Scarlet Letter

4.2.2Links to Dystopian Fiction

4.3Political Context

4.3.1Berlin & Iran

4.3.2The New Right in America

4.4Historical Context

4.4.1Puritan New England

4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead

4.5.1The Underground Femaleroad

4.5.2Children of Ham & Soul Scrolls

4.5.3Offred's Tattoo, Salvaging & Illegal Abortions

4.5.4Unwomen, Colonies & Giving Away Offred's Daughter

4.6Religious Context

4.6.1Religious Context

5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques

5.1Narrative Structure

5.1.1Narrative Structure

5.2Literary Techniques

5.2.1Literary Techniques

5.2.2Colour Symbolism

6Themes & Imagery

6.1Themes

6.1.1Survival & Language

6.1.2The Female Body

6.2Imagery

6.2.1The Garden & Doubles

7Characters

7.1Female Characters

7.1.1Offred & Moira

7.1.2Offred's Mother, Ofglen & Ofwarren

7.1.3Serena Joy & Aunt Lydia

7.2Male Characters

7.2.1The Commander

7.2.2Nick & Luke

8Readings

8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale

8.1.1Eco-Criticism

8.1.2Complacency

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