4.3.1
Berlin & Iran
Political Context - Berlin and Iran
Political Context - Berlin and Iran
The Handmaid's Tale seems to draw on ideas of segregation and the oppression of women from Berlin and Iran respectively.
Inspiration of Berlin
Inspiration of Berlin
- Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale partially in West Berlin during the 1980s.
- The novel was published in 1986, three years before the Berlin Wall fell.
- It's clear that the Berlin Wall - a symbol of segregation and isolation - hugely inspired Atwood, especially as the Wall in The Handmaid's Tale is a symbol of fear, punishment and ideological control.
Professor Crescent Moon - Iran
Professor Crescent Moon - Iran
- In the Historical Notes, Professor Crescent Moon subtly makes reference to the Iranian Revolution as she introduces Professor Pieixoto’s publications, including “Iran and Gilead: two late-20th-century monotheocracies”.
- In 1978-79, the Iranian Revolution saw the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a new Islamic republic.
The Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution
- This revolution led to women's rights being diminished, including the adoption of mandatory veiling of women, the forced wearing of the hijab, along with public stoning for people believed to be dissenters, the law that women are not allowed to travel without their husband’s permission along with many other conditions that women have to live under.
- There are parallels between the Handmaids’ habits and hooded hats and the forced wearing of the Hijab in Iran.
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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