Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid’s Tale

The idea

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is a set text for the political and social protest writing component. You should study how Atwood uses the dystopian form to protest against patriarchal control, religious extremism, and the erosion of women's rights. Key areas include Offred's first-person narrative, the use of flashbacks and historical notes, the symbolism of colour and clothing, and the manipulation of language. You should analyse how these methods create effects on readers and invite reflection on our own world. Assessment requires close analysis of the text and engagement with its political and social contexts, including how Atwood's novel protests against real-world injustices. You should also consider how the novel's structure and narrative voice shape audience response and how different readers might interpret its warnings.

What earns the marks

• Analyses how Atwood's narrative voice and structure (for example Offred's first-person account, flashbacks, and the Historical Notes) shape reader response and protest.
• Explains how symbolism (for example colour, clothing, and names) contributes to the novel's political and social critique.
• Discusses how the novel explores themes of power, gender, and resistance, and how these invite reflection on the reader's own world.
• Uses close textual reference to support interpretations of Atwood's methods and their effects on audiences.
• Connects the novel's dystopian elements to real social and political issues, showing awareness of context.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Retelling the plot instead of analysing Atwood's methods.

  Put it right: Focus on how narrative voice, symbolism, and structure create meaning and protest.

• Ignoring the Historical Notes and their effect on interpretation.

  Put it right: Consider how the ending frames the main narrative and shapes reader response.

• Treating the novel as a straightforward prediction rather than a protest.

  Put it right: Analyse how Atwood uses exaggeration and dystopian conventions to critique contemporary society.

Exam tips

• Integrate short quotations into your analysis to show how Atwood's language creates specific effects.
• Link points about the novel's protest to its context, such as second-wave feminism and debates about reproductive rights, without letting context overshadow textual analysis.
• Consider alternative readings of Offred's narrative, including its unreliability and its role in engaging the reader.