Comment on the way in which Atwood has constructed 'The Handmaid's Tale'.

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Comment on the way in which Atwood has constructed ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Through the course of ‘The Handmaids Tale’, Margaret Atwood uses an unconventional and ostensibly unordered form of plot construction to present Offred’s tale and certain major themes effectively to the reader. The construction of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is strongly linked to the prime theme of time running through the novel, as well as other more subtle themes such as that of Offred’s passive rebellion. In this essay I will explore the use of the novel’s structure and its effectiveness in conveying the novel’s thematic threads to the reader.

The fragmented progression of plot and seemingly disjointed structure of the novel is made evident from the Table Of Contents where the predominant sections of ‘Night’ are interspersed with various singular sections, implying a cyclic and repetitive dimension to life in the patriarchal Gileadean society. While the other sections provide a reflection of the mundane nature of Gileadean life, Atwood utilises the ‘Night’ sections in presenting Offred’s reminiscences on the past time, through which the majority of character and plot development takes place. Offred uses the night to express subversive notions such as the theme of re-ownership and independence in the quotation, ‘the night is mine…to do as I will’, as well as the significant reclamation of her body:

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‘I sink into my body as into a swamp…where only I know the footing.’

Thus, Atwood’s even distribution the ‘Night’ sections across the novel can be seen as a continuous reminder of Offred’s need of a means of escapism from the restrictive society of Gilead.

There are also strong links between the construction and time structure of the novel.

When Offred’s memories are stimulated by the former gymnasium in the first Night section, she remembers the eras of fashion, from the ‘felt-skirted watching girls’ to ‘spiky green-streaked hair[ed]’ girls, in a linear chronological progression. This is in stark ...

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