Historical Notes

The Historical Notes reveal that Offred's story has actually been part of a mise-en-abyme narrative. This is a kind of frame story, where the main narrative is used to highlight parts of the framing story.

Professor Pieixoto's narration

The reader is told that "her-story" has now become "his-tory".
An arrogant and dismissive Professor Pieixoto tells the story.
It starts as being a partial transcript of the "Twelfth Symposium on Gileadean Studies" in the University of Denay, Nunavit, on June 25th 2195.
- The date (2195) shows that Offred's tale is now a studied part of history: Gilead has been disbanded and all the people in Offred's tale, including her, are now a long time dead.

Denay, Nunavit

The name of the University - Denay, Nunavit - places this academic symposium in Arctic Canada.
But Atwood uses paronomasia (a pun) to express the warning: Deny none of it!
- This is an example of Atwood's authorial voice breaking through into the text to remind the reader that all the atrocities that happened in Gilead have ACTUALLY happened in real society.

Attack on male academics

This is also Atwood's satirical attack on the privileged white male voices of academia which belittle and invalidate female experience.
- Professor Pieixoto is from Cambridge University and shows his misogyny when he discusses the innuendo of Tale and Tail ("archaic vulgar signification") and the importance of Offred's story ("This item - I hesitate to call it a document").

Wade's role in the story

After the female Professor Maryann Crescent Moon introduces Professor Pieixoto, he launches into his lecture by making a sexual innuendo about everyone "enjoying" the Arctic Chair. He emphasises the "distinct senses" of the word "enjoy".
He then discusses Offred's story. He says that the order of information and the title of the narrative have all been chosen by a male academic, Professor Wade.
- This reminds us of Offred's own words: "This is a reconstruction".

Tape recordings

We also find out that the story was originally tape recordings that were then transcribed by the Professors.

Historical Notes (Cont.)

Professor Pieixoto tells his audience of his findings about the regime.

"Passing moral judgement"

He says that we should "be cautious about passing moral judgement upon the Gileadeans" even after he has heard the harrowing nature of Offred's tale.

Focus on the Commander

He thinks that the identity of the Commander is more important and interesting than Offred's identity.
He speaks lots about the origins of the Commander and the patriarchal order of Gilead. The Professor then almost chides Offred for missing out so much detail on the runnings of the regime.
He says that she "could have told us so much... if she had the instincts of a reporter or a spy".

Offred - Eurydice

He ends the lecture by likening Offred to the Greek tragic figure of Eurydice, who was banished into the underworld after her husband Orpheus went to save her but looked back as he was leading her out.
The lecture ends with the Professor saying "Are there any questions?".
- This is ironic, as he seems to have overlooked and under-researched everything about Offred, leaving the reader with many questions about her.

Prevalence of patriarchal views

The Historical Notes are frustrating and surprising.
- The Professor makes weak, sexist jokes ("the Underground Frailroad") and takes an objective view of Gilead ("our job is not to censure but to understand").
- Atwood does this to show that even hundreds of years after the regime of Gilead, patriarchal views and ideology are still present in society and women's experience is still undermined and controlled by men.

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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