Chapter 15 & 16

Test yourself

Chapter 15 - Key Quotations

Here are four key quotations from Chapter 15:

"An incendiary device"

Like in many totalitarian regimes, books are banned in Gilead.
In the Middle Ages, the Church in Europe did not allow the Bible to be translated into the vernacular, which meant laymen couldn't read it.
Offred is aware that the Handmaids accessing words would threaten the Gilead authorities.
It's clear that the Gilead authorities misuse and pervert the Bible to justify their evil intentions.

"It must be hell"

"Still, it must be hell, to be a man, like that. It must be just fine. It must be hell. It must be very silent.”
- Offred is aware that the Commander, like the women he controls, is a victim of the regime in Gilead.

"Blessed are the meek"

“Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the silent. I knew they made that up, I knew it was wrong, and they left things out too.”
- Offred is aware of how the Gilead authorities adapt the Bible for their own purposes.

The Eyes

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth"
- The Commander ends the prayers by reminding the women that the Eyes - the state spies - are constantly watching them.
- This quotation is taken from Zechariah 4:10.

Chapter 16 - Key Quotations

Here are five key quotations from Chapter 16:

Key quotations

“The rings of her left hand cut into my fingers. It may or may not be revenge.”
“Below the Commander is fucking. What he is fucking is the lower part of my body. I do not say making love, because it is not what he's doing. Copulating too would be inaccurate.”
- Offred uses the explicit and shocking word "fucking" to show how physical and unpassionate this act is.

Key quotations (cont.)

"This is not recreation"
- There seems to be a pun on the word "recreation" The Commander is not having sex for pleasure; he's trying to make a baby because Gilead needs children to carry on the state.
"An improvement on the previous one, who smelled"
- Women can't choose their sexual partners in Gilead. So their experiences aren't always pleasant.
“Which of us is it worse for, her or me?”

1Author Background

1.1Margaret Atwood

1.1.1Margaret Atwood

2Chapter Summaries

2.1Chapter 1: Night I

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II

2.2.1Chapter 2

2.2.2Chapter 3

2.2.3Chapter 4

2.2.4Chapter 5

2.2.5Chapter 6

2.3Chapter 7: Night II

2.3.1Chapter 7

2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV

2.4.1Chapter 8

2.4.2Chapter 9

2.4.3Chapter 10

2.4.4Chapter 11

2.4.5Chapter 12

2.5Chapter 13: Nap V

2.5.1Chapter 13

2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI

2.6.1Chapter 14

2.6.2Chapter 15

2.6.3Chapter 16

2.6.4Chapter 17

2.7Chapter 18: Night VII

2.7.1Chapter 18

2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII

2.8.1Chapter 19

2.8.2Chapter 20

2.8.3Chapter 21

2.8.4Chapter 22

2.8.5Chapter 23

2.9Chapter 24: Night IX

2.9.1Chapter 24

2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X

2.10.1Chapter 25

2.10.2Chapter 26

2.10.3Chapter 27

2.10.4Chapter 28

2.10.5Chapter 29

2.11Chapter 30: Night XI

2.11.1Chapter 30

2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII

2.12.1Chapter 31

2.12.2Chapter 32

2.12.3Chapter 33

2.12.4Chapter 34

2.12.5Chapter 35

2.12.6Chapter 36

2.12.7Chapter 37

2.12.8Chapter 38

2.12.9Chapter 39

2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII

2.13.1Chapter 40

2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV

2.14.1Chapter 41

2.14.2Chapter 42

2.14.3Chapter 43

2.14.4Chapter 44

2.14.5Chapter 45

2.15Chapter 46: Night XV

2.15.1Chapter 46

2.16Historical Notes

2.16.1Historical Notes

3Dedications & Epigraph

3.1Dedications & Epigraph

3.1.1Dedications

3.1.2Epigraph

4Context

4.1Setting

4.1.1Setting

4.2Literary Context & Genre

4.2.1The Canterbury Tales & The Scarlet Letter

4.2.2Links to Dystopian Fiction

4.3Political Context

4.3.1Berlin & Iran

4.3.2The New Right in America

4.4Historical Context

4.4.1Puritan New England

4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead

4.5.1The Underground Femaleroad

4.5.2Children of Ham & Soul Scrolls

4.5.3Offred's Tattoo, Salvaging & Illegal Abortions

4.5.4Unwomen, Colonies & Giving Away Offred's Daughter

4.6Religious Context

4.6.1Religious Context

5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques

5.1Narrative Structure

5.1.1Narrative Structure

5.2Literary Techniques

5.2.1Literary Techniques

5.2.2Colour Symbolism

6Themes & Imagery

6.1Themes

6.1.1Survival & Language

6.1.2The Female Body

6.2Imagery

6.2.1The Garden & Doubles

7Characters

7.1Female Characters

7.1.1Offred & Moira

7.1.2Offred's Mother, Ofglen & Ofwarren

7.1.3Serena Joy & Aunt Lydia

7.2Male Characters

7.2.1The Commander

7.2.2Nick & Luke

8Readings

8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale

8.1.1Eco-Criticism

8.1.2Complacency

9Recap: Main Quotes

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