Summary AQA English Literature B A-Level - The Handmaid's Tale (Character Quotes)

THE HANDMAID’S TALE – CHARACTER QUOTES

CHARACTE QUOTE ANALYSIS
R
Offred ‘my name isn’t Offred’ Stripped of identity, denial,
rebellion
‘I have viable ovaries’ Only important factor,
element of description now
‘I have trouble remembering what I Loss of identity, lack of
used to look like’ importance of female
presentation
‘I have one more chance’ Sense of survival, death
‘rewards I hold out for myself, like Simile, child-like imagery,
the candy I hoarded as a child’ sense of survival, reverting to
childhood
‘a small defiance’ Offred’s method of defying the
regime
‘I think about Laundromats’ Normality of life
‘Has he seen Luke’ Holding on to the old life
‘Do I exist for her?’ Questioning, loss of a child
‘It’s easier to think of her as dead’ Loss of a child, loss of
normality
‘to have been erased like that’ Stripped of identity, loss of a
child
Moira ‘Moira was always more logical’ Strength, sense of survival
‘like an elevator with open sides Sense of freedom, openness,
risk
‘a lack of volition’ Loss of power, stripped of
freedom
‘daring and spectacular’ Strength, power, freedom, risk
‘I don’t know how she ended’ Anonymity, stripped of power
Serena Joy ‘Serena Joy was never her real name Irony, lack of joy / happiness,
… her name was Pam’ fake identity showing the
façade of Gilead
‘a sacrifice she was making for the The façade of Gilead, loss of
good of all’ identity, loss of power
‘she has become speechless’ Loss of power, loss of identity
‘Does she love him, after all?’ Serena’s façade fading
‘”You could have left me Complete loss of identity, lack
something”’ of survival, stripped back