2.10.3
Chapter 27
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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
2Chapter Summaries
2.1Chapter 1: Night I
2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II
2.3Chapter 7: Night II
2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV
2.5Chapter 13: Nap V
2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI
2.7Chapter 18: Night VII
2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII
2.9Chapter 24: Night IX
2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X
2.11Chapter 30: Night XI
2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII
2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII
2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV
2.15Chapter 46: Night XV
2.16Historical Notes
3Dedications & Epigraph
3.1Dedications & Epigraph
4Context
4.1Setting
4.2Literary Context & Genre
4.3Political Context
4.4Historical Context
4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead
4.6Religious Context
5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques
5.1Narrative Structure
5.2Literary Techniques
6Themes & Imagery
6.2Imagery
7Characters
7.1Female Characters
7.2Male Characters
8Readings
8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale
9Recap: Main Quotes
9.1Quotes by Chapter
9.1.1Chapters 1 & 29.1.2Chapters 3 & 49.1.3Chapters 5 & 69.1.4Chapters 7 & 89.1.5Chapters 9 & 109.1.6Chapters 11 & 129.1.7Chapters 13 & 149.1.8Chapter 15 & 169.1.9Chapters 17 & 189.1.10Chapters 19 & 209.1.11Chapters 21 & 229.1.12Chapters 23 & 249.1.13Chapters 25 & 269.1.14Chapters 27 & 289.1.15Chapters 29 & 309.1.16Chapters 31 & 329.1.17Chapters 33 & 349.1.18Chapters 35 & 369.1.19Chapters 37 & 389.1.20Chapters 39 & 409.1.21Chapters 41 & 429.1.22Chapters 43 & 449.1.23Chapters 45 & 469.1.24Historical Notes & Epigraphs
Jump to other topics
1Author Background
1.1Margaret Atwood
2Chapter Summaries
2.1Chapter 1: Night I
2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II
2.3Chapter 7: Night II
2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV
2.5Chapter 13: Nap V
2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI
2.7Chapter 18: Night VII
2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII
2.9Chapter 24: Night IX
2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X
2.11Chapter 30: Night XI
2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII
2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII
2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV
2.15Chapter 46: Night XV
2.16Historical Notes
3Dedications & Epigraph
3.1Dedications & Epigraph
4Context
4.1Setting
4.2Literary Context & Genre
4.3Political Context
4.4Historical Context
4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead
4.6Religious Context
5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques
5.1Narrative Structure
5.2Literary Techniques
6Themes & Imagery
6.2Imagery
7Characters
7.1Female Characters
7.2Male Characters
8Readings
8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale
9Recap: Main Quotes
9.1Quotes by Chapter
9.1.1Chapters 1 & 29.1.2Chapters 3 & 49.1.3Chapters 5 & 69.1.4Chapters 7 & 89.1.5Chapters 9 & 109.1.6Chapters 11 & 129.1.7Chapters 13 & 149.1.8Chapter 15 & 169.1.9Chapters 17 & 189.1.10Chapters 19 & 209.1.11Chapters 21 & 229.1.12Chapters 23 & 249.1.13Chapters 25 & 269.1.14Chapters 27 & 289.1.15Chapters 29 & 309.1.16Chapters 31 & 329.1.17Chapters 33 & 349.1.18Chapters 35 & 369.1.19Chapters 37 & 389.1.20Chapters 39 & 409.1.21Chapters 41 & 429.1.22Chapters 43 & 449.1.23Chapters 45 & 469.1.24Historical Notes & Epigraphs
Practice questions on Chapter 27
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1What does Offred remember was behind the Wall in Chapter 27?Multiple choice
- 2What is described as __"treason"__ in Chapter 27?Multiple choice
- 3
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