9.1.20

Chapters 39 & 40

Test yourself

Chapter 39 - Key Quotations

Here are three quotations from Chapter 39:

Illustrative background for __"The same... serviced"__Illustrative background for __"The same... serviced"__ ?? "content

"The same... serviced"

  • "The drapes are the same"
    • Irony. Previously, Offred visited with her lover. Now, she visits with a Commander who uses her for sex and nothing more.
  • "Serena wants me serviced"
    • This references the plan for Offred to sleep with Nick to get pregnant. The verb "serviced" indicates that this is a purely mechanical action, like having a vehicle serviced.
Illustrative background for <b>"Dead bird... afford pride"Illustrative background for <b>"Dead bird... afford pride" ?? "content

"Dead bird... afford pride"

  • "I lie there like a dead bird... I can't afford pride or aversion"
    • Offred is aware that she's powerless in her relationship with the Commander. In the Ceremonies, she's supposed to suppress any reaction. But here, she's trying to get her body to respond as if she has an emotional or physical response.
    • The entire sex scene is awkward and creates an atmosphere of deadness.

Chapter 40 - Key Quotations

Here are four key quotations from Chapter 40:

Illustrative background for <b>"Myself... alive... human"Illustrative background for <b>"Myself... alive... human" ?? "content

"Myself... alive... human"

  • "Myself, my obverse"
    • There are moments where Offred views Serena Joy as a sort of double of herself.
  • "I'm alive in my skin"
    • In Offred's first account of sleeping with Nick, she talks about the pleasure of being touched. She seems to be emotionally engaged in the process.
  • "Some acknowledgement that he too is human"
    • Offred finds emotionless sex dehumanising. Atwood stresses this by juxtaposing Offred's nights with the Commander and Nick.
Illustrative background for __"Didn't happen that way"__Illustrative background for __"Didn't happen that way"__ ?? "content

"Didn't happen that way"

  • "It didn't happen that way either"
    • Even Offred's alternative version of events is not a 'true' account. We're reminded that the entire novel is Offred's reconstruction - and that she is an unreliable narrator for that reason.

Jump to other topics

1Author Background

1.1Margaret Atwood

2Chapter Summaries

3Dedications & Epigraph

3.1Dedications & Epigraph

4Context

5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques

6Themes & Imagery

7Characters

8Readings

8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale

9Recap: Main Quotes

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