The Handmaid’s Tale (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Margaret Atwood
- First Published: 1985
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fable
- Time of Work: The future
- Setting: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Principal Characters: Offred, The Commander, Moira, Serena Joy, Nick, Ofglen
- Genres: Long fiction, Dystopian fiction, Near future and distant future fiction
- Subjects: Dictators, Freedom, United States or Americans, Power, personal or social, Sexism, Sex or sexuality, Gender roles, Self, Slavery or slaves, Revolutions, Future, Twenty-first century, Prostitution or prostitutes, Religion, Feminism, Oppression, Women, Conservatism, Infertility, Childbirth, Totalitarianism, Women’s rights
- Locales: Gilead
Form and Content
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century. A revolution sponsored by fundamentalist leaders has produced a monolithic theocracy called the Republic of Gilead. Although inspired by divine power, the administrators of Gilead rely on human control to implement their religion-based policies. Overt military control is conducted through a series of agents—such as Commanders, Eyes, and Guardians—who use electronic devices, blockades, and spies to maintain surveillance over the...
[The entire page is 2408 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
