Introduction
Studying the novel
Synopsis
Section I Night to Section II Shopping, Section III Night to Section IV Waiting Room, Section V Nap to Section VI Household, Section VII Night to Section VIII Birth Day, Section IX Night to Section X Soul Scrolls, Section XI Night to Section XII Jezebel’s, Section XIII Night to Section XIV Salvaging, Section XV Night, ‘Historical Notes’Section II Shopping, Chapters 4–6
Summary, Analysis, Extract analysis, Study focus: Double vision, Revision task: A key motifSection IX Night, Chapter 24 & Section X Soul Scrolls, Chapter 25
Summary, Analysis, Extract analysis, Revision task: LaughterCharacters & Themes
Genre, Structure & Language
Genre
Defining genre, Utopia and dystopia, Study focus: The importance of historical context, The Handmaid’s Tale as feminine dystopia, Systems of social control, The features of a dystopia, Political and social protest writingStructure
External and internal story, The ‘Night’ sections: flashback, Study focus: The Commander’s study, A present constructed from the pastLanguage
Storytelling as an act of resistance, Prison or survival narrative?, Public and private lives, Other women’s stories, The motif of doubles, Offred the self-conscious narrator, The role of storytelling, An inner voice rich in imagery, Offred’s wordplay, The use of irony, A ‘feminine’ language, The language of Gilead, Gilead’s misuse of biblical language, Words and silence, ‘Historical Notes’: A different perspectiveContexts & Interpretations
Historical context
The American New Right, Puritan New England, Utopian ideals, Revision task: Puritan attitudes to women, Feminism, Progress booster: Atwood and feminismProgress Booster
Assessment focus
How will you be assessed?, What do the AOs actually mean?, What does this mean for your revision?How to write high-quality responses
Five key areas, 1. The structure of your answer/essay, Aiming high: Effective opening paragraphs, 2. Use of titles, names, etc., 3. Effective quotations, Aiming high: Effective use of quotations, 4. Techniques and terminology, 5. General writing skillsQuestions with statements, quotations or viewpoints
Approaching the question, Key skills required, Answering a ‘viewpoint’ questionComparing The Handmaid’s Tale with other texts
Approaching the question, Writing your response, Introduction to your response, Main body of your response, Conclusion