A very helpful guide to understand Atwood's dystopic novel
This review is actually of Mary Ellen Snodgrass' Cliff Notes for "The Handmaid's Tale" and not Margaret Atwood's novel, which is one of the few late 20th-century works for which there is a little yellow book. Snodgrass begins with a concise review of Atwood's life, background and published works. By way of setting up the novel, Snodgrass takes the rather unusual step of providing comments from various reviewers of "The Handmaid's Tale." Establishing it as work of speculative fiction that warns (predicts?) of a triumph of totalitarianism, Snodgrass puts the novel in the tradition of dystopian novels such as "1984," "Brave New World," "A Clockwork Orange," "Fahrenheit 451," etc. (all of which would serve as interesting analogs for students to compare/contrast). We are then provided a list of characters, a very useful time line covering the events in the novel, and a brief synopsis of the novel. In terms of Critical Commentaries, Snodgrass looks at the three epigraphs than open the novels and then each of the fifteen chapters and the "historical notes," offering brief descriptions and then commentary. Two of the strengths of her approach are that Snodgrass puts literary concepts in boldface and "translates" difficult words and phrases that are important in the novel. A Genealogy of Offred and Janine (Ofwarren) is included, along with a small map of New England. For Critical Essays, Snodgrass focuses on Literary Analysis (existential apologia, oral history, speculative fiction, confession, dystopia), over a dozen Literary Devices (simile, symbol, historical and cultural lore, literary allusion, parody, etc.), and the idea of women in "The Handmaid's Tale," as well as the traditional elements of themes and settings. She even offers 15 points of significant differences between Atwood's novel and the 1990 film version directed by David Ray (perhaps the most useful information for teachers who are using this book in class to have). Snodgrass' notes for Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is an above average Cliffs Notes volume, because it does a nice job of putting the book in literary perspective as a dystopic novel, takes pains to define words/phrases for readers unique to the culture of Gilead, and integrates dozens of literary concepts into its analysis. "The Handmaid's Tale" has the advantage of being speculative fiction, what many students will insist on thinking of as "science fiction," which will entice more students to be interested in reading the novel, at which point I do not think they can help but be engaged by the world Atwood creates and the issues she raises. Snodgrass' notes will allow students to see it as "literature" as well.
A dystopia --- Margret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Margaret Atwood created a shocking example for the future : A dystopia. Atwood created the State of Gilead, a totalitarian state. In this state citizens are controlled and women are considered most important in their child bearing role. The story is told by a handmaid, who is supposed to become pregnant, her name is Offred. A few chapters are full of tension and shock, but if you think (during reading this chapters) that you will learn more about it, you will be disappointed. Every time Atwood puts chapters in, which calm you down again. The protagonist Offred, suddenly refers to usual things. For example after the ceremony scene, she tells about using butter instead of body cream. This behaviour emphasizes Offred's desensitised character. Lots of unbelievable things are normal for Offred. This shows that the totalitarian regime has full control and violates many Human Rights. But Offred rebels just in a little way. She is coloured with duality, her thoughts differ from her real actions. Furthermore two different societies are presented in contrast to each other. On the one hand the former `normal' society (as we know it nowadays) and on the other hand the Gilead society, but the development from a liberal society to a totalitarian regime is not described in detail. This shows, that it is not easy for Offred to get information. News channels are censored, most of the women are not allowed to write or read... The Historical Notes at the end of the novel still belong to Offred's story and give it somehow authenticity. I think `The Handmaid's Tale' is a well written novel, but you should not expect to get satisfied, because it is a warning and does not give you the feeling of release at the end. Just bare in mind that every gap and additional information (e.g. the Historical Notes) in Atwood's novel has it's function.
Too Close for Comfort
This should be required reading for every female in this country over the age of 16. I read this book in college and it scared the bejeezus out of me then. So much so that I refused for years to have an ATM card. Now that the extreme right and the Moral Majority have nearly taken over the Republican party and so many of our military leaders have become rabid Fundamentalists, it's too close to a potential future.
This book was chilling, changing, incredible.
I have never read a more accurate book of fiction before. I haven't thought about the personal rights that I enjoy, until I read the Handmaid's Tale. It is a story of rebellion and it is about the will to live. It is about finding the means to survive emotionally. It is about sex, but not kinky sex. It is about the neccesity for love. I loved this book, and I hope that someday, every high school senior has a chance to read this book before they graduate.
A concept of our society, framed in the future
A fantastic piece of poetic prose which captures not only the horrors of a future society but also those of our own. Atwoods ability to cinematically describe events in such detail, allow vivid pictures of both characters and settings to form in our minds as we imaginatively read the text, and although often obscure Offred's perspective is made truely believable as a result of her lack of stimulants, and censored life. Although on first inspection this book appears to portray a depressing glimpse into a bleak future, on closer inspection we also see how it is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit in adversity.This satirical account provides a moral messsage that we could all learn from, appreciate the freedom which we have at the present and never abbuse it.
(25 reviews)
