Go Further
Why you should read The Handmaid's Tale TedEd
This short TedEd video covers some of the historical context, such as the clash between Second Wave Feminist ideologies and Ultra-Conservative Culture in the 1980s. It also provides a brief synopsis for the novel.
Critical Essays & Articles
Check out some of these critical essays and articles to deepen your understanding of the text. There are Marxist criticisms, feminist criticisms, and even racial criticisms which might help you think of new ideas as you read.
The Handmaid's Tale - What's Come True and What Hasn't (Yet) The Take
As the shock of the supreme court overturning Roe v. Wade spread through the US, many turned to comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale. The horrific dystopian series based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about fertile women being turned into child-bearing slaves struck a nerve when it started airing in 2017, as the election of Donald Trump suddenly made the story feel a little less far-fetched. But a few years later, The Handmaid’s Tale's brutal, medieval-feeling Republic of Gilead seems downright possible here in the USA – and a lot sooner than we could’ve ever imagined.
A Gilead Glossary
The novel's setting, Gilead, is a society which uses languages as a means for control; for, if one is able to control language, they can control thoughts and culture. As a result, there are a number of unique terms. You can find a Gilead Glossary by clicking the image to the right.
A Map of Gilead
Gilead, a fictional totalitarian and theocratic state, takes place in the very real North America, specifically the United States. However, it is a little bit more complicated than this. Click the image to find out a little bit more about the geography of Gilead.
The Social Hierarchy of Gilead
Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, Commanders, Aunts, Econowives, Unwomen... There are many social castes within Gilead and it can be a little confusing to remember them all. This article sheds a bit more light on Gilead's hierarchy.
The Handmaid's Tale (TV Series) is About the Present The Take
Hulu's The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t just the story of a dystopian future; it’s also a symbolic way of talking about the present. In this video, The Take decode the hidden parallels to our world.
Crash Course: The Handmaid's Tale
Crash Course is an excellent YouTube channel which provide information on a variety of subjects, including English, philosophy, psychology, history, and so much more. They have some fantastic videos for many of the literary works you might study in English class, including Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. The two videos below will provide some extra information if you feel you need it.