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The Handmaid's Tale: Themes/Symbols and Motifs

Year 11 Extension English

Historical Context-The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale was written in 1985 during a time of rising religious conservatism and backlash against women’s rights. Margaret Atwood based the society of Gilead on real historical examples, like the strict Puritan colonies in early America and modern theocratic regimes that limit women’s freedoms. She was also influenced by fears in the 1980s about environmental damage, falling birth rates, and growing political control. The novel warns what could happen if women’s rights and individual freedoms are taken away by an extreme religious government.

Course Hero

Theme Wheel

How does the Theme Wheel work?

  • Each wedge of the blue ring represents a scene.
  • Each row of colored boxes extending from a wedge represents a part of the scene. The closer to the blue ring, the closer to the beginning of the scene.
  • The colors in each row indicate which themes are “active” in that part of the scene.

The Theme Wheel is interactive.

  • Themes: Hover over or tap any of the themes in the Themes and Colors Key to show only that theme. Click a theme in the Themes Key to lock it.
  • Summary: Hover over or tap any row of colored boxes to read the summary associated with that row. Click the row to lock the summary.

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