Chapters 21 & 22
English Lit: Edexcel A Level The Handmaid's Tale, topic 9.1.11
Chapter 21 - Key Quotation
Here is a key quotation from Chapter 21:
Key quotation
- “Mother, I think. Wherever you may be. Can you hear me? You wanted a women's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn't what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies.”
- Offred's mother campaigned because she wanted women to be recognised in society. But in Gilead, women are only recognised for their wombs.
Chapter 22 - Key Quotations
Here are four key quotations from Chapter 22:
Key quotations
- "A different story, a better one"
- Atwood repeatedly stresses the idea that Offred's story is a ‘reconstruction'.
- "The Aunts are allowed to read and write"
- The other women are not allowed literacy because Gilead considers it dangerous. Reading is heavily restricted. The Commander is only allowed a Bible.
Key quotations about Moira
- "A loose woman"
- Moira is loose because she has empowered herself and escaped. Moira may also be 'loose' (in terms of being sexually unrestrained) because she rejects the sexual repression Gilead imposes. We later find out that Moira is a lesbian.
- “The audacity is what we liked”
- Moira's audacity gives the others hope.
Test yourself on Chapters 21 & 22
Who does Offred address this quotation to?
"You wanted a women's culture. Well, now there is one. It isn't what you meant, but it exists. Be thankful for small mercies.”What's the missing word from this quotation describing Moira?
“The ____ is what we liked”Which quotation is used of Moira in Chapter 22?