Chapter 14 – How does Atwood convey Offred’s feelings of claustrophobia and her yearning for power?

The ‘eye of glass’ referenced in the first sentence of the chapter establishes a watchful, intrusive presence, as if even the house’s decor is spying on her; an inanimate agent of the regime. This might inform Offred’s decision to immediately kneel upon entering the sitting room, taking her place even though ‘no one else is here’. Perhaps her claustrophobic feeling that everything in Gilead is working against her, trying to catch her out, is the reason why she doesn’t even feel safe to relax when she knows she is alone. 

Later in the chapter she expresses her desire to ‘steal something’ from the room because ‘it would make (her) feel that (she) has power.’ We learn in Chapter 15 that this is a call back to her time in the Red Centre, where she would steal sugar packets to give to Moira after she was beaten, not because they were helpful, but because the small act of rebellion inspired both of them. One can assume that this is a similar situation, it is not the act of theft that would empower Offred, but the knowledge of her own rebellion, however subtle.

Chapter 14 – What is revealed about Gilead via the news?

Offred comments that ‘He tells us what we long to believe’, observing that ‘He is very convincing.’ While it might first appear that the news is just another form of propaganda that the Republic is using to spread its message and further indoctrinate people, mirroring historical regimes such as those of Hitler or Mao, the verb ‘long’ implies an innate desire in the people of Gilead to believe him. Either, they are already indoctrinated and wish to see the Republic succeed, or they wish to become indoctrinated, because it’s inherently easier to survive in Gilead without thoughts of your own. We learn that even Offred has to consciously fight to not give in and become complacent in the quote ‘I struggle against him’. 

Chapter 14 – Although Offred does not respond to Nick’s rebellion, she does rebel against Serena Joy mentally. Explain.

Offred mentally rebels against Serena Joy by mocking her infertility, an action that can be seen in the quote ‘No use for you, I think at her’. The phrase ‘think at’ connotes spite, and gives something that is normally quite docile, thinking, an aggressive tone. Furthermore, infertility is a forbidden topic in Gilead, so Offred is not only rebelling against a hierarchical superior, but also rebelling against the regime and its attempts to suppress free speech, despite not acting on her thoughts.

Chapter 14 – Comment on the imagery used to explore the concept of names.

Offred refers to her name as ‘some treasure I’ll come to dig up, one day.’ Using ‘treasure’ as a metaphor implies that Offred’s identity, beneath the layers of indoctrination and dehumanisation, is of immense value to her, and thus must be protected from those who wish to separate her from it. The contraction ‘I’ll’ extends to’ I will’, and therefore connotes a sense of defiance, and certainty that she will, one day, reclaim her buried identity, perhaps foreshadowing a future act of rebellion.

Chapter 14 – Why do you think Atwood describes Offred’s plans to escape in this chapter AFTER we hear of how the plans failed, in the previous chapter?

The narrative device of hearing about Offred’s hopeful plans to escape only after the knowledge of its subsequent failure is cemented in the mind of the reader creates a strong sense of foreboding, as well as heartbreak upon the discovery of the true dramatic irony of the situation, as we know her anxiety in the flashback is justified. 

Chapter 15 – In the previous chapter, the Commander’s lateness could be taken to indicate a lack of commitment to his role. How is this idea further suggested in this chapter?

The idea is further demonstrated by the Commander’s meagre description: ‘A semi-retired man, genial but wary’. Despite expectations, he is not made out to be a particularly threatening or domineering man. This puts forth the idea that perhaps it is not the men of Gilead that are dangerous, but the position they have been placed in by an oligarchical few.

Chapter – 15 Offred’s mental rebellions regarding the Commander seem to help her cope with the pressure of the meeting. Give some examples.

The thought ‘To be a man, watched by women’, as well as Offred’s increasingly belittling array of phallic imagery, hints at an aspect of insecurity amongst the Commander’s character, and exposing this seems to give Offred strength. This can be seen in short, confident sentences such as ‘We’re all watching him’, with the pronoun ‘We’ being unique, as Offred rarely unites herself with other women. 

Chapter 15 – What do we learn of Moira as a character? Is her rebellion intended to support others?

We learn from Offred’s memories that Moira’s rebellion must be rooted in selfishness and personal gain, as despite clear advice and a clear desire for her to stay, Moira carries out her plan to escape nonetheless. Offred tells her ‘Moira, don’t’ in the imperative mood, connoting urgence and true personal emphasis, but Moira ignores Offred’s plea for company and leaves, risking her life in the process in an attempt to better it, if only for a few days.

Chapter 15 – How does Atwood indicate that the Government of Gilead is twisting the words of the Bible to suit their politicised goals and interpretations?

Atwood indicates that the Government of Gilead is twisting the words of the Bible by referencing the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The quote ‘We can be read to from it, by him, but we cannot read’ mirrors how the Bible was, up until this point in history, never translated into the common tongue for the lower classes to read, forcing them to instead listen to the Church for moral wisdom. This ‘wisdom’ could be manipulated and twisted for their own gain by conveying whatever message the Church was, at that time, trying to preach, at no risk of being corrected. This reflects how, if women in Gilead were able to read the true passages of the Bible, they would find how the government has perverted the Christian beliefs to serve themselves, for example ‘Blessed be the silent’ to teach suppression, and likely revolt.

Using both chapters 14 and 15, write a sequence of the events that always precede the ceremony.

1. The Handmaid bathes.
2. The Handmaid, Marthas, Commander and Commander’s Wife get in ‘position’.
3. The Commander reads several passages of the Bible.
4. The ceremony commences.

Chapter 16 – How does Atwood use humour through Offred’s thoughts to break the tension?

‘Below it the Commander is fucking.’ – The sudden expletive breaks the tense atmosphere and brings an element of vulgarness to a tradition that is trying its utmost to be deadly serious and ritualistic. 

‘There’s something hilarious about this, but I don’t dare laugh.’ – Juxtaposes Offred’s mockery of the silliness of the regime’s traditions with her genuine fear of them, as she could be executed at any time for expressing such thoughts. 

Chapter 17 – Find all the examples of rebellion in this chapter.

‘I look for the pat of butter… where I hid it after dinner.’ – Theft.

‘This was the decree of the wives, this absence of hand lotion.’ Self-preservation of beauty.

‘We can believe that we will some day get out… We’ll have ceremonies of our own, private ones.’ – Reclamation of traumatic activities.

‘I am out of place.’ – Leaving her bedroom.

‘What should I take?’ – Theft.

‘Leave it there, for the next woman… to find.’ – Inciting rebellion in future handmaids.

‘Both of us shaking, how I’d like to.’ – The thought of sex with a man other than the Commander.

Chapter 17 – How is the character of Luke used in this chapter?

‘I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued,’ – Luke is used in the chapter as a reminder of Offred’s identity and sense of self after a traumatic experience, of her sense of value, not diminished by the acts she has committed as a result of the regime. Luke isn’t there to condone her, so she has to condone herself.

Chapter 17 – How does Offred try to regain control as the chapter closes?

‘Bullshit.’  -She abruptly ends her thoughts of sex with Nick, signified by another sudden expletive, snapping herself out of her trance and regaining control of her body, as well as her thoughts.

Chapter 18 – Comment on the following simile:

“I am like a room where things once happened and now nothing does…”

The simile suggests that Offred has lost her sexuality, something vital to female empowerment, and without it feels vacant, like an empty room. However, from the earlier quote ‘Nobody dies from lack of sex. It’s lack of love we die from’, one can infer that as well as representing her sexuality, physical intimacy for Offred signifies more than just it’s erotic nature, but love, and it is the lack of love more than anything else that is making her feel empty. 

How does Offred attempt to keep Luke’s memory alive in this chapter? Make notes on the three scenarios she creates. Which alternative possibility is she ignoring?

Offred thinks of Luke first as a corpse, having been shot dead by Angels. She wishes a quick and painless death upon him. Then, she thinks that he might be held captive somewhere, a bruised prisoner of the regime. Finally, she hopes that he is not a victim of Gilead at all, escaped somewhere, and is plotting to rescue her and her child. She says that it is these hopes that keep her alive. However, she has failed to consider, or more likely has considered and ignored the idea, that Luke is now a tool of the regime, perhaps a Commander, or Angel, or Guardian, that he is serving Gilead, a society that oppresses her and her gender. She doesn’t want to even think that the person she loves is part of something that she despises.