Purpose: Literary criticism is an extension of the social activity of interpreting. One reader writes down his or her views on what a particular work of literature means so that others can respond to that interpretation. The critic’s specific purpose may be to make value judgments on a work, to explain his or her interpretation of the work, or to provide other readers with relevant historical or biographical information. The critic’s general purpose, in most cases, is to enrich the reader’s understanding of the literary work. Critics typically engage in dialogue or debate with other critics, using the views of others to develop their own points. This is precisely our goal with this last assignment – to enrich the reader’s understanding of The Handmaid’s Tale. With your literary analysis, the goal is to move, convince, and enlighten your audience.

Summary: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel resembling a sort of backwards fairytale. The protagonist is Offred, who narrates her experience as a handmaid, a surrogate of sorts, living in a chilling dictatorial place called Gilead. Offred tells her story in a non-linear fashion, taking us from past to present and allowing us to fully understand how such a grotesque society came to existence.

Guidelines:

* Your essay should be 4-6 pages long, in MLA Format and a correctly structured Works Cited

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* You are required to use 4 sources: first, is the primary source (our novel). Second, is a scholarly source from a literary journal. Third, is a web source (a credible newspaper or magazine). The fourth is your choice (it can be a book, scholarly article, web article, blog, or a multimedia source such as a visual, film, speech, song, poem, and so on).

* You should provide at least 2-3 quotations from the novel as support throughout your essay.

Topics: Read the list of topics carefully and choose one to write a strong, consistent and well-developed argument.

1. Choose 1-2 symbols from the novel and analyze how these particular symbols enrich the main theme (symbols can include but are not limited to: colors, eggs, day/night, the Wall, the Eyes, the Guardians, Jezebel’s, the Aunts, etc.).
2. Analyze the significance of literacy in this novel. You should address why it is considered so dangerous, who is allowed literacy and how it relates to power.
3. What is the role of true love in Gileadean society? Is it a fallacy or can it genuinely exist?
4. What is the role of friendship in Gileadean society? Can it be pure/genuine or does the nature of this society create selfish individuals?
5. This novel is filled with Biblical allusions. Analyze the role of religion in this novel. Does religion ultimately benefit or hurt the citizens of Gilead?
6. Analyze the role of names in this novel. Does a person’s name help form his/her identity?
7. Sex is considered a physiological need by many experts. How is sex represented in Gileadean society?
8. Provide a character analysis of the ambiguous Commander. Do you find him sympathetic? Take a position.
9. Is obedience and/or passivity a virtue or a vice? In answering this question, you might want to analyze a few characters who do nothing versus those who fight against the system. Do you defend or condemn the decision to remain passive?
10. Is Offred a reliable narrator? Evaluate her credibility as the story progresses. In your analysis, be sure to reference 2-3 literary devices Atwood uses to develop Offred’s narrative (i.e. you may consult her syntax, grammar, structure, connotations as well as figurative language such as similes, metaphors, analogies, puns, etc.).