Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in The Handmaid's Tale
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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Lesson Plans by Kristy Littlehale
Margaret Atwood’s explosive dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, has seen a resurgence in popularity with the popular TV series released in 2017. Engage students with premade activities with Storyboard That.
Storyboard Description
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs in The Handmaid's Tale
Storyboard Text
- EXAMPLE
- COLORS
- THE EYE
- THE WINGS
- THE CEREMONY
- The women and men of Gilead are separated by job/class, and this was indicated by colors. For the Handmaids, the red made them stand out but also symbolized the life they were trying to create and carry. It symbolized their duty; for the Handmaids, it symbolized their curse.
- The Eye is the symbol of the Republic of Gilead’s government. The black vans of secret agents that would pick people up for interrogations and torture bore this symbol in white. The Eyes were also a code name for spies who infiltrated different areas of society to turn people in to the government.
- The wings are what Offred and her fellow Handmaids call the bonnet that goes up and around their faces. Sometimes, Offred expresses her frustration at the wings blocking her view of the world; however, at other times it offers opportunities to hide her feelings or thoughts in a veil of safety.
- The Gileadean society revolves around the Ceremony. Each month, after reading Scriptures that justify this proceeding from the Bible, the Handmaid would lie in the lap of the Wife while the Commander would have intercourse with the Handmaid. After, the entire household would wait to see if the Handmaid became pregnant.
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