2.6.1
Chapter 14
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Chapter 14 - Summary and Key Quotations
Offred is summoned to the sitting room downstairs, where she kneels in position for the Ceremony and starts to think about how she would love to steal something in an act of rebellion.
News broadcast
- Cora, Nick, Rita and Serena Joy all enter the room and also wait for the Commander. By flicking through the TV channels, Serena Joy ends up on a news broadcast which announces that Gilead is winning in their battles.
Offred's planned escape
- After the TV is turned off, Serena Joy sits back and lights a cigarette.
- Offred remembers getting into a car with her daughter and Luke. They are pretending to go for a family picnic.
- They are actually planning to escape to Canada and the chapter ends with them getting through a checkpoint - Luke is happy but Offred is still worried about their future.
Key quotations
- "I don't sit, but take my place, kneeling, near the chair with the footstool where Serena Joy will shortly enthrone herself"
- The different positioning of Offred and Serena Joy reflects the power imbalance between them.
- "Kneeling" represents submission - Offred accepts her passive state and servile life.
- "As if I’m a piece of furniture"
- Offred feels objectified and used by Serena Joy.
Key quotations (cont.)
- “Household: that is what we are. The Commander is the head of the household. The house is what he holds. To have and to hold, till death do us part.”
- Offred plays with language: she thinks about the different meanings of the word ‘hold'.
- ‘To have and to hold' is part of the wedding vows found in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.
- “He's so close that the tip of his boot is touching my foot"
- Offred makes physical contact with Nick. This shows the importance of touching.
Key quotations (cont.)
- “They only show us victories, never defeats.”
- “Who knows if any of it is true? It could be old clips, it could be faked.”
- Atwood explores the idea that governments use propaganda and all media outlets spread news according to their own agendas.
- In George Orwell's 1984, a large government department manipulates ‘news' material.
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 14
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- 1What does the news broadcast announce in Chapter 14?Multiple choice
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