2.2.1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Summary
Chapter 2: Summary
Offred, our narrator, describes her single room in the house she's been placed in as a Handmaid - the Commander's house.
Commander's house and uniform
Commander's house and uniform
- She describes it in detail, and moves down into the kitchen, detailing everything she can see in this late Victorian house.
- The reader is told that she has to dress in full Handmaid's uniform, which consists of a red full body smock and a white "winged" headpiece which stops them "seeing, but also from being seen".
- She also wears red gloves so that hardly any skin can be seen.
Cora and Rita - Marthas
Cora and Rita - Marthas
- In the kitchen, the reader is introduced to Cora and Rita who are "Marthas" - servants who carry out domestic duties.
- Offred wishes she could join in with the gossip, but she is isolated from these women. She is only allowed to speak to them when she is collecting the tokens she needs to get food at the shops.
Colonies and Unwomen
Colonies and Unwomen
- In this chapter, the Marthas briefly mention the "colonies" and the existence of "Unwomen".
- They mention these as a kind of warning about the alternative lives they could be living if they were not servants.
Chapter 2 - Key Quotations
Chapter 2 - Key Quotations
Here are five key quotations from Chapter 2:
"They've removed anything..."
"They've removed anything..."
- "They've removed anything you could tie a rope to"
"...Reduced circumstances..."
"...Reduced circumstances..."
- "For ladies in reduced circumstances. For that is what we are now. The circumstances have been reduced; for those of us who still have circumstances"
"...I long for it"
"...I long for it"
- "How I used to despise such talk. Now I long for it
"I hunger..."
"I hunger..."
- "I hunger to commit the act of touch"
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
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
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