1. The novel begins with three epigraphs. What are their
functions?
2. In Gilead, women are categorized as wives, handmaids,
Marthas, or Aunts, but Moira refuses to fit into a niche. Offred
says she was like an elevator with open sides who made them dizzy;
she was their fantasy. Trace Moira''s role throughout the tale to
determine what she symbolizes.
3. At one level, The Handmaid''s Tale is about the
writing process. Atwood cleverly weaves this subplot into a major
focus with remarks by Offred such as "Context is all," "I''ve
filled it out for her," "I made that up," and "I wish this story
were different." Does Offred''s habit of talking about the process
of storytelling make it easier or more difficult for you to suspend
disbelief?
4. A palimpsest is a medieval parchment that scribes attempted
to scrape clean and use again, though they were unable to
obliterate all traces of the original. How does the new republic of
Gilead''s social order often resemble a palimpsest?
5. The Commander in the novel says you can''t cheat nature. How
do characters find ways to follow their natural instincts?
6. Why is the Bible under lock and key in Gilead?
7. Babies are referred to as "keepers," "unbabies," and
"shredders." What other real or fictional worlds do these terms
suggest?
8. Atwood''s title is similar to some in Chaucer''s The
Canterbury Tales. What, if any, is the connection between the
two works?
Discussion questions provided courtesy of Anchor Books, a division
of Random House, Inc., New York. All rights reserved.