9.1.18

Chapters 35 & 36

Test yourself on Chapters 35 & 36

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Chapter 35 - Key Quotations

Here are five key quotations from Chapter 35:

Key quotations

Key quotations

  • "An invalid … no valid passport"
    • Atwood plays on the word "invalid" - meaning both someone who is not well and something not accepted.
  • "I don't want to be telling this story"
    • This is a reminder than Offred is telling a story – a construct. We wonder who Offred is telling her story to.
  • Why fight? ... That will never do"
    • Offred knows that becoming passive means letting the regime win.
Key quotations (cont.)

Key quotations (cont.)

  • "Is, I say. Is, is"
    • Offred corrects herself when she refers to Luke in the past tense. She doesn't want to lose hope that Luke lives.
  • "I am a blank here, between parentheses"
  • Parentheses are asides in sentences. Offred feels like she's marginalised and living on the outside of this world.

Chapter 36 - Key Quotations

Here are three key quotations from Chapter 36:

__"Feathers... Freedom..."__

"Feathers... Freedom..."

  • "A handful of feathers … cups … covered in purple sequins"
    • A similar outfit features in another of Atwood's novels, Year of the Flood. It's worn by women who work in 'Scales and Tails' – another nightclub/brothel.
    • Atwood is clearly concerned by the exploitation of ladies who work in such establishments.
  • "Freedom … is relative"
    • Offred's life is so restrained that even minor rebellions give her pleasure.
__"A tag"__

"A tag"

  • "He slips around my wrist a tag … ‘an evening rental'"
    • The Aunts claim that women are admired in the state. But in places like Jezebel's they are like commodities that can be bought/sold.
Jump to other topics
1

Author Background

1.1

Margaret Atwood

1.1.1Margaret Atwood
2

Chapter Summaries

2.1

Chapter 1: Night I

2.1.1Chapter 1
2.2

Chapters 2-6: Shopping II

2.2.1Chapter 22.2.2Chapter 32.2.3Chapter 42.2.4Chapter 52.2.5Chapter 6
2.3

Chapter 7: Night II

2.3.1Chapter 7
2.4

Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV

2.4.1Chapter 82.4.2Chapter 92.4.3Chapter 102.4.4Chapter 112.4.5Chapter 12
2.5

Chapter 13: Nap V

2.5.1Chapter 13
2.6

Chapters 14-17: Household VI

2.6.1Chapter 142.6.2Chapter 152.6.3Chapter 162.6.4Chapter 17
2.7

Chapter 18: Night VII

2.7.1Chapter 18
2.8

Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII

2.8.1Chapter 192.8.2Chapter 202.8.3Chapter 212.8.4Chapter 222.8.5Chapter 23
2.9

Chapter 24: Night IX

2.9.1Chapter 24
2.10

Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X

2.10.1Chapter 252.10.2Chapter 262.10.3Chapter 272.10.4Chapter 282.10.5Chapter 29
2.11

Chapter 30: Night XI

2.11.1Chapter 30
2.12

Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII

2.12.1Chapter 312.12.2Chapter 322.12.3Chapter 332.12.4Chapter 342.12.5Chapter 352.12.6Chapter 362.12.7Chapter 372.12.8Chapter 382.12.9Chapter 39
2.13

Chapter 40: Night XIII

2.13.1Chapter 40
2.14

Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV

2.14.1Chapter 412.14.2Chapter 422.14.3Chapter 432.14.4Chapter 442.14.5Chapter 45
2.15

Chapter 46: Night XV

2.15.1Chapter 46
2.16

Historical Notes

2.16.1Historical Notes
3

Dedications & Epigraph

3.1

Dedications & Epigraph

3.1.1Dedications3.1.2Epigraph
4

Context

4.1

Setting

4.1.1Setting
4.2

Literary Context & Genre

4.2.1The Canterbury Tales & The Scarlet Letter4.2.2Links to Dystopian Fiction
4.3

Political Context

4.3.1Berlin & Iran4.3.2The New Right in America
4.4

Historical Context

4.4.1Puritan New England
4.5

Parallels: Read World & Gilead

4.5.1The Underground Femaleroad4.5.2Children of Ham & Soul Scrolls4.5.3Offred's Tattoo, Salvaging & Illegal Abortions4.5.4Unwomen, Colonies & Giving Away Offred's Daughter
4.6

Religious Context

4.6.1Religious Context
5

Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques

5.1

Narrative Structure

5.1.1Narrative Structure
5.2

Literary Techniques

5.2.1Literary Techniques5.2.2Colour Symbolism
6

Themes & Imagery

6.1

Themes

6.1.1Survival & Language6.1.2The Female Body
6.2

Imagery

6.2.1The Garden & Doubles
7

Characters

7.1

Female Characters

7.1.1Offred & Moira7.1.2Offred's Mother, Ofglen & Ofwarren7.1.3Serena Joy & Aunt Lydia
7.2

Male Characters

7.2.1The Commander7.2.2Nick & Luke
8

Readings

8.1

Readings of The Handmaid's Tale

8.1.1Eco-Criticism8.1.2Complacency
9

Recap: Main Quotes

9.1

Quotes 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
9.2

Text Structure - Quotes

9.2.1Literary Techniques - Quotes9.2.2Survival & Language -Quotes9.2.3The Female Body - Quotes9.2.4The Garden & Doubles - Quotes9.2.5Eco-Criticism & Complacency - Quotes

Practice questions on Chapters 35 & 36

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What word completes the quotation?<br><br><b>"I am a blank here, between ____"</b> Multiple choice
  2. 2
    What are the correct versions of these quotations?True / false
  3. 3
    What does Offred say <b>"freedom"</b> is in Chapter 36?Multiple choice
Answer all questions on Chapters 35 & 36

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Chapters 33 & 34

Chapters 37 & 38