9.1.23

Chapters 45 & 46

Test yourself

Chapter 45 - Key Quotations

Here are three key quotations from Chapter 45:

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"I may live"

  • "She has died that I may live ... Unless this woman is lying"
    • At first, Offred is relieved that Ofglen has seemingly not incriminated anyone.
    • But she soon starts to worry that Ofglen is not actually dead and that there's no way of knowing if she's dead or alive.
    • The idea of dying so that others can live references Jesus' sacrificial death to atone for the world's sins.
Illustrative background for __"I am abject"__Illustrative background for __"I am abject"__ ?? "content

"I am abject"

  • “I am abject. They can do what they like with me.”
    • Offred knows that a tyrannical regime like Gilead can force its people to do anything because of their desperation to live.
  • "Does she love him, after all?"
    • Offred realises Serena Joy is also an exploited woman and victim of the regime.

Chapter 46 - Key Quotations

Here are three quotations from Chapter 46:

Illustrative background for __"Our misery... real name"__Illustrative background for __"Our misery... real name"__ ?? "content

"Our misery... real name"

  • "To put her out of her misery ... out of our misery"
    • Offred sees parallels between hers and Serena Joy's dire lives.
  • "My real name. Why should this mean anything?"
    • Offred cherishes her "real name" as a way of keeping her identity. This cliffhanger ending means we don't know whether Nick has used Offred's real name to betray or save her.
Illustrative background for __"Darkness... the light"__ Illustrative background for __"Darkness... the light"__  ?? "content

"Darkness... the light"

  • "And so I step up, into the darkness within, or else the light"
    • Atwood ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. We are left to decide for ourselves whether Offred has met her end or found freedom.

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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