2.6.4
Chapter 17
Chapter 17 - Summary and Key Quotations
Chapter 17 - Summary and Key Quotations
Offred returns from dinner. She has hidden a pat of butter in her shoe and uses it to moisturise her skin. She hopes that one day she will have control over her own body again.
Offred's defiance
Offred's defiance
- Offred gazes out of the window at the moon. She longs to see Luke and hear him say her name.
- Feeling rebellious and defiant, she decides she wants to steal something to feel more in control of her situation.
- She sneaks downstairs into the sitting room and decides to steal a petal from one of Serena Joy's flowers. But she is found by Nick. They passionately kiss and he tells her that she has been summoned tomorrow to see the Commander. Bewildered by this news, she returns to her room.
Key quotations
Key quotations
- “I rub the butter over my face; work it into the skin of my hands”
- The Wives detest the Handmaids to the extent that they deprive them of basic commodities like hand cream.
- The fact that the Handmaids cant use hand cream reinforces that they only exist to be wombs.
- I want to be held and told my name"
- Offred wants to be valued and have an identity again.
Key quotations (cont.)
Key quotations (cont.)
- I want to steal something"
- Offred's identity, husband and child have been taken from her. So she wants to assert her own power.
- "We're mirrors"
- Offred sees that, like her and Ofglen, her and Nick are in similar situations.
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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