Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How does
The
Handmaid’s Tale depict the intersection between politics
and sexual reproduction? How is Gilead’s political order defined
by this intersection, and how does it affect the lives of women?
2. Discuss the
significance of setting in
The Handmaid’s Tale.
Why does Atwood choose to set the novel where she does?
3. How does Gilead
create and use a new vocabulary to buttress its totalitarian order?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss the role of the Aunts
and of Serena Joy in the novel. How do they relate to other women,
and how does this make them fit into the hierarchy of Gilead?
2. Is the Commander a sympathetic
character, a monster, or both?
3. Is Atwood’s novel ultimately
a feminist work of literature, or does it offer a critique of feminism?
4. What role does Moira play
in the novel? How does her significance change as the story progresses?
