How Effective Is The Opening Of The Handmaids Tale? Concentrate Of The First Four Chapters, Incorporating Analysis Of Characterisation, Themes And Atwood's Use Of Symbolism

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How Effective Is The Opening Of The Handmaids Tale?

Concentrate Of The First Four Chapters, Incorporating Analysis

Of Characterisation, Themes And Atwood’s Use Of Symbolism

The first four chapters act as an effective and appropriate introduction to the Handmaid’s Tale. Throughout the first four chapters, Atwood uses several techniques, and also the creative anti-chronological feature of the novel to the engage the interest of the reader.

        Chapter 1 immediately sets up the time scale of the novel, within the first sense Atwood cleverly employs the past tense, ‘We slept in what had once been the gymnasium’, the interesting combination of the past tense and a contemporary feature of life, suggests to the reader that the novel is set in a future. Atwood then appeals to the reader, through Offred’s description of the former gymnasium. Atwood also takes the first chapter as an opportunity to introduce the reader to the ironic parallels of the hierarchical society of Gilead, Atwood intrigues the reader by contrasting the pleasant connotations of the words ‘Angels’ and ‘Aunts’ against the vengeful, militaristic feel of words like ‘guns’ and ‘cattle prods’. Offred’s descriptions of her surroundings are vivid, her description contains use of each of the senses, and she smells ‘the pungent scent of sweat, shot through with the sweet taint of chewing gum and perfume’, this invites the reader to empathise with Offred, and renews the idea that although Gilead as a society may be far from what we live in, we do have our links to it.

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        Atwood creates a sense of the void within Offred’s room. Offred’s description of the room is comprehensive and she takes in all the small details in the room. This shows how much time Offred has, and how unpalatable her existence is. Offred’s desperation preoccupation with escape, even through the most desperate methods is also used throughout the chapter, ‘They’ve removed anything you could tie a rope to’.         Atwood maintains the interest of the reader but developing their curiosity for Gilead. Offred does not fully explain her situation or circumstances, but the reader is forced to make conclusions from the clues, ...

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