THE HANDMAID'S TALE

"I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance. If it’s a story I’m telling, then I have control over the ending. Then there will be an ending, to the story, and real life will come after it. I can pick up where I left off."

The Handmaid's Tale

NOLITE TE BASTARDES CARBORUNDORUM

CONTENTS

Presentation of the novel and Offred

Our analysis of the different relationships

Conclusion

THE novel

--> Daily life of Offred in Gilead's society --> First person : Offred's feelings --> Division of the society into categories

WHO IS OFFRED ?

--> Handmaid named Offred --> Living as an object for the Gileadan society

What kind of relationship does Offred have with other women ?

--> Forced to leave her daughter and loved-husband Luke --> She had a miscarriage in her past

Nothing takes place in the bed but sleep; or no sleep. I try not to think too much. Like other things now, thought must be rationed. There’s a lot that doesn’t bear thinking about. Thinking can hurt your chances, and I intend to last.

--> She does not act directly but keeps a critical point of view about Gilead society

THE WIVES

WHO ARE THEY? --> Commanders' wives, blue dresses --> Serena Joy made speeches and sang

COLD RELATIONSHIPS

"I want to see as little of you as possible"

FEAR RELATIONSHIPS

"I wouldn't have liked her, nor she me"

"The difficulty is the Wife, as always"

JEALOUS RELATIONSHIPS

"The blue Birthmobile [...] is not curtained off"

"I looked at the cigarette with longing"

"Women do it frequently"

MORE PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS

"Then she takes the cigarette [...] and, a little awkwardly, presses it into my hand"

"This is the one good thing about the evenings of the Ceremony: I'm allowed to watch the news"

WHO ARE THEY? --> Housekeepers, green dresses --> 2 Marthas: Rita and Cora

THE MARTHAS

HIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIPS

DISTANT AND COLD RELATIONSHIPS

"I am like a child here, there are things that I must not be told"

"They're talking about me as though I can't hear"

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

"Cora knocks at the door before entering.[...] It means she things I have some of what we used to call privacy left"

"It pleased me that she was willing to lie for me, even in such a small thing. [...] It was a link between us"

THE AUNTS

WHO ARE THEY ?

"Try to think of it from their point of view, she said, her hands clasped and wrung together, her nervous pleading smile. It isn’t easy for them."

--> Powerful and straight women in Gilead society --> At the head of the Red Center --> Cold and unsympathetic

WHAT S THEIR ROLE :

--> Responsible of the colonies --> Have the responsibility of the indoctrination

THE RELATIONSHIP :

--> No friendship --> Cold relationship

THE ECONOWIVES

WHO ARE THEY ?

--> Very poor women --> Wives of low ranking men

WHAT'S THEIR ROLE :

--> Domestic works --> Doing what other maids do not do

"The econowives do not like us"

THE RELATIONSHIP :

--> Rarely discribed --> A relationship without any big interests or purposes --> Jealousy or pity

THE OTHER HANDMAID's

--> Going shopping together --> Ofglen and Offred first spy on each other --> Then a friendship borns between them

"Praise Be" "Bless be the fruit" "Peace be upon you"

CONCLUSION

No real solidarity between the women We could have thought that the women would be more united to defend their cause

'There’s hardly any point in my thinking, is there? I say. What I think doesn’t matter. Which is the only reason he can tell me things.'

There are anyway links of complicity between them (Mayday, relation with Cora...)

‘I am alive, I live, I breathe.'