4.6.1
Religious Context
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Religious Context of The Handmaid's Tale
Atwood created Gilead as a theocracy, which means that the country is governed by a state that strictly follows the laws and teachings of a particular religion.
Biblical significance
- The epigraph shows that Gilead is a fundamentalist Christian theocracy.
- The name of Gilead comes from the Bible. It is mentioned first in the book of Genesis as a hill country that Jacob flees to and sets up home as a witness to God.
- It is a place that is renowned for its fertility.
- It holds a special balm that is meant to heal. This creates the phrase "There is a balm in Gilead", which Moira satirically changes to "There is a bomb in Gilead".
Jacob, Rachel and Leah
- The story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah influences the novel.
- The epigraph implies that the practice of using a handmaid as a way of having a child has now become part of the Ceremony in Atwood's novel and that Biblical scripture is used to imprison and oppress Handmaids like Offred.
- The RED centre in the novel stands for the Rachel and Leah centre, which references the story of both of the wives of Jacob having to use their handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, to bear children.
Patriarchal lexis
- The language used by the Handmaids is prescribed from the Bible.
- This means patriarchal language is used to strengthen the oppression of the Handmaids and status as "walking wombs": "Praise be", "Blessed be the Fruit", "May the Lord Open" and "Under his eye".
Shops in Gilead
- The names of the shops in Gilead comes from the Bible.
- Lilies of the Field, All Flesh and Milk and Honey are referenced in the Old Testament.
- The idea of fertility in Exodus - when Moses promises to take the Israelites to a land that is brimming over with "milk and honey" - is cleverly juxtaposed with the actual grocery shop in Gilead, which has run out of much of its produce.
Indictment of the New Right
- Atwood uses these subtle satirical references to criticise the American Fundamental Christian New Right, which was in power when she wrote the novel.
- Her references show that their plans to make a utopia founded upon the teachings of the Bible were flawed.
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 Religious Context
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