Chapter 32
English Lit: Edexcel A Level The Handmaid's Tale, topic 2.12.2
Chapter 32 - Summary and Key Quotations
Rita gives Offred a match to light her cigarette. Offred wonders whether she should enjoy smoking a cigarette or whether she should use the match to burn down the house.
Commander opens up
- Offred spends more time with the Commander. He begins to relax more and drink alcohol. This leads to him being freer in what he discusses.
- He tells Offred that society changed because of women's financial independence. He says that it made men feel belittled and emasculated when women had jobs and were economically independent of men.
- He says stopping women from working and making them financially dependent made women more sexually attractive to men.
"Buried" in life
- After their meeting, Offred lies in bed staring at the ceiling where a chandelier used to hang.
- She wonders whether her predecessor is safer in death then she is alive. She says that she feels "buried" in life.
Key quotations
- "He's way up there"
- The Commander is among the most influential people in Gilead.
- "What I think doesn't matter"
- Offred knows the Commander doesn't care about her opinion. He simply wants confirmation that the creators of Gilead were correct.
- "Better never means better for everyone"
- The Commander tries to justify the Gilead regime.
Test yourself on Chapter 32
Why did society change, according to the Commander?
Which quotations from Chapter 32 are correct?
What makes the Commander freer in what he discusses?