4.5.1
The Underground Femaleroad
The Underground Female Road
The Underground Female Road
The Underground Femaleroad references the Underground Railroad in America.


Real-world relevance
Real-world relevance
- Atwood wrote in the New York Times in 2018: "One of my rules was that I would not put any events into the book that had not already happened… nor any technology not already available. No imaginary gizmos, no imaginary laws, no imaginary atrocities. God is in the details, they say. So is the Devil".
- This means that every atrocity that is in the novel has actually happened in the real world, which makes the novel even more terrifying.


The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad
- The Underground Railroad refers to the secret smuggling slaves into safe houses and secret routes in the United States in the early to mid-1800s to try to get them safely across the border into Canada or to free states in the US.
- It has nothing to do with trains. It refers to the network of people who worked under threat of imprisonment or death to help those who were enslaved.


End of the American Civil War
End of the American Civil War
- In 1865, the end of the American Civil War brought about the end to slavery.
- It is estimated that about 100,000 slaves were saved by being smuggled through the Underground Railroad.


Pieixoto: "Frailroad"
Pieixoto: "Frailroad"
- In the Historical Notes, Professor Pieixoto uses paronomasia (a play on words) to belittle the Underground Femaleroad.
- He states that some academics have dubbed it the "Frailroad".
- This suggests that he doesn't empathise with the suffering of those involved.
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 & 2
9.1.2Chapters 3 & 4
9.1.3Chapters 5 & 6
9.1.4Chapters 7 & 8
9.1.5Chapters 9 & 10
9.1.6Chapters 11 & 12
9.1.7Chapters 13 & 14
9.1.8Chapter 15 & 16
9.1.9Chapters 17 & 18
9.1.10Chapters 19 & 20
9.1.11Chapters 21 & 22
9.1.12Chapters 23 & 24
9.1.13Chapters 25 & 26
9.1.14Chapters 27 & 28
9.1.15Chapters 29 & 30
9.1.16Chapters 31 & 32
9.1.17Chapters 33 & 34
9.1.18Chapters 35 & 36
9.1.19Chapters 37 & 38
9.1.20Chapters 39 & 40
9.1.21Chapters 41 & 42
9.1.22Chapters 43 & 44
9.1.23Chapters 45 & 46
9.1.24Historical 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 & 2
9.1.2Chapters 3 & 4
9.1.3Chapters 5 & 6
9.1.4Chapters 7 & 8
9.1.5Chapters 9 & 10
9.1.6Chapters 11 & 12
9.1.7Chapters 13 & 14
9.1.8Chapter 15 & 16
9.1.9Chapters 17 & 18
9.1.10Chapters 19 & 20
9.1.11Chapters 21 & 22
9.1.12Chapters 23 & 24
9.1.13Chapters 25 & 26
9.1.14Chapters 27 & 28
9.1.15Chapters 29 & 30
9.1.16Chapters 31 & 32
9.1.17Chapters 33 & 34
9.1.18Chapters 35 & 36
9.1.19Chapters 37 & 38
9.1.20Chapters 39 & 40
9.1.21Chapters 41 & 42
9.1.22Chapters 43 & 44
9.1.23Chapters 45 & 46
9.1.24Historical Notes & Epigraphs
Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium
Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions
Mini-mock exams based on your study history
Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books