The Handmaid’s Tale: Key Quotations
One of the ways to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the text is through the effective use of quotations and references to the text. This means that summarising, paraphrasing, referencing single words and referencing plot events are all as valid as using direct quotations.
Overall, you should aim to secure a strong knowledge of the text, rather than memorising a list of pre-prepared quotations, as this will better enable you to respond to the question. It is the quality of your knowledge of the text which will enable you to select references effectively.
If you are going to revise quotations, the best way is to group them by character, or theme. Below you will find definitions and analysis of the best quotations, arranged by the following key themes:
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Power
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Gender
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Identity
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Survival and memory
Power
Power is a significant theme in The Handmaid’s Tale due to the layers of control exerted by both individuals and the totalitarian regime.
“Remember that forgiveness too is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power” Offred, Chapter 23
Meaning and context
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This quote is said by Offred while reflecting on her encounter with the Commander in which he asks her to kiss him like she means it
Analysis
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Offred explores ideas of power and what they really mean:
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She is challenging the reader to think of forgiveness, which is often seen as a kind gesture, as corrupted and used as way of holding power over someone
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The Commander’s position of power allows him to break the rules and be forgiven for it
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However, if Offred were to break the rules, she would be subject to much harsher consequences
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“It’s difficult for me to believe I have power over him, of any sort, but I do; although it’s of an equivocal kind” Offred, Chapter 32
Meaning and context
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This quote is said by Offred about the shifting power dynamics between her and the Commander
Analysis
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Offred acknowledges that she does have some power in the situation, but the true nature of their relationship is unclear
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This demonstrates that having power over someone is a struggle: one person can have it, and the other must fight for it
“She is looking straight at me. We can see into each other’s eyes” Offred, Chapter 27
Meaning and context
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This quote is said by Offred when she and Ofglen are stood outside the shop window
Analysis
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Mirrors and glass are important symbols, showing truth and reflection
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Offred and Ofglen’s reflections in the window symbolise their similarities and their role as each other’s equals
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They are able to connect with each other as equals, in a world in which connections are forbidden:
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This is empowering – they are able to find power with each other
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“But find out and tell us.”
“Find out what?” I say. I feel rather than see the slight turning of her head.
“Anything you can” Offred and Ofglen, Chapter 35
Meaning and context
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This conversation is had between Offred and Ofglen, when Ofglen learns of Offred’s relationship with the Commander
Analysis
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In Gilead, the handmaids’ access to information is extremely limited:
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They are not allowed to read, write or watch the news
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This prevents them from getting any information about the world around them, and is another strategy Gilead uses to control and oppress them
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Information is power, and Ofglen seizes any opportunity to obtain information that may help the Mayday cause
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The gaining of information can be an act of resistance to those in power who control the information
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By wanting to work together, Ofglen wants to use the power of comradeship to gain power over the oppressors
Examiner Tips and Tricks
There are a lot of quotes or references to power in the book, so it is important to consider what aspect of power and power dynamics you are exploring in relation to the question when deciding what to use as references. For example, if you were exploring the changing power dynamics between Offred and the Commander, then you might wish to consider the end of the novel, when Offred says “I am above him, looking down; he is shrinking” (Chapter 46). What is important is that you are making the most appropriate references to the question you have been set.
Gender
Gender as a theme in The Handmaid’s Tale is closely linked to both power and identity. Atwood has written a piece of dystopian fiction specifically from a female perspective, and it highlights inequalities based on gender as well as the oppression of other marginalised groups.
“I didn’t go to any of the marches. Luke said it would be futile and I had to think about them, my family, him and her. I did think about my family. I started doing more housework, more baking” Offred, Chapter 28
Meaning and context
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This quote comes as Offred remembers how Gilead took over
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She remembers how she and the other women in her office were “let go”, as it became against the law for women to work, and her bank account was frozen:
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Her money and assets were transferred to her husband
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Offred recalls the protests, which were relatively small due to fear of repercussions
Analysis
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Here, the power dynamic between Offred and Luke changes, as elements of traditional gender roles and expectations embedded deep within his character begin to surface
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Instead of supporting Offred, Luke tells her to prioritise her family:
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This echoes the misogynistic idea that women shouldn’t protest, vote or work because it would take them away from their domestic duties
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In the character of Luke, Atwood explores the idea that even the most progressive men can still hold and perpetuate patriarchal ideas when it benefits them
Responses