Name: Luis Enrique Hernandez Chang

Date:November 2nd, 2015

Language and Symbolism in The Handmaids Tale

Find examples of each of the following in the book. Make sure to note the chapter
number and include the full sentence in which each example is found. You must find
at least 3 new examples of each
1. Neologisms (include definition)
a. Unwomen: not wanted by society, infertile, cant have babies, not
married to Commanders. He could fake the tests, report me for cancer,
for infertility, have me shipped off to the Colonies, with the Unwomen.
(Chapter 11)
b. Gilead: This is the heart of Gilead, where the war cannot intrude except
on television (chapter 5)
c. Econowives: Econowives, they're called. These women are not divided
into functions. They have to do everything; if they can. (Chapter 5)
d.

2. Things that are forbidden

a. Reading: We can be read to from it, by him, but we cannot read
(Chapter 15).
b. Drinking: For me, like liquor and coffee, they are forbidden. (Chapter 3)
c. Guns: No guns though, even they could not be trusted with guns
(Chapter 1)
d. Smoking: he cigarettes must have come from the black market (Chapter
3)

3. Things that are compulsory

a. Uniforms: The white wings are prescribed issue; they are to keep us from
seeing, but also from being seen (chapter 2)
b. Follow each order no matter what: Keep the locks on and keep going. If
anyone whistles, don't turn to look. Don't go into a laundromat, by
yourself, at night. (chapter 5)
c. There is no currency, they use coins with the article printed in the coin:
three eggs, a bee, a cow. Milk and Honey. (chapter 5)
d.
4. Biblical references
a. Gilead: reference to a place name mentioned in the Bible in modern day
Jordan. The Republic of Gilead, said Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds.
(Chapter 5)
b. Marthas: reference to a domestic character in the new testament.
c. Religious language/terminology: The car is a very expensive one, a
Whirlwind; better than the Chariot, much better than the chunky, practical
Behemoth (Chapter 4)
 d. Stores have biblical names: All Flesh, Milk and honey. Next we go into
All Flesh, (chapter 5)

5. Symbolic names
a. Angels: a group of men who are assigned to basic guard duties. They
cannot have guns. Guns were for the guards, specially picked from the
Angels. (chapter 1) The Angels stood outside it with their backs to us.
(chapter 2)
b. Marthas: reference to a domestic character in the new testament.
c.
d.

6. Colors
a. Red. Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of
blood, which defines us (chapter 2).
b. Servants, called Marthas wear Green.
c. Wives wear blue uniforms
d. Blue: which were the flat hostile blue of a midsummer sky in bright
sunlight, a blue that shuts you out. (Chapter 3)

(Continued on next page)

7. Symbolism
a. Coffee: in the houses of the Commanders there is still real coffee
(chapter 2). Coffee symbolizes wealth and power in the novel.
b. Marriage: It represents some freedom. They think instead of doing their
duty and of promotion to the Angels, and of being allowed possibly to
marry, and then, if they are able to gain enough power and live to be old
enough (Chapter 4)
c. This is the heart of Gilead, where the war cannot intrude except on
television (chapter 5)
d. Ignorance: Doctors lived here once, lawyers, university professors. There
are no lawyers anymore, and the university is closed. (Chapter 5)

After you are done, on your own, choose one feature you find particularly
interesting and write a paragraph discussing its effect on the novel. You will need to
use appropriate quotes in order to back up your point. (No more than 200 words).

Dont forget the best way to write a paragraph: 1) Topic sentence, 2) supporting
sentences, with 3) examples (quotes) from text that are introduced and explained.
Concluding sentence.
Example start to a paragraph: In The Handmaids Tale, Atwood makes dramatic
use of neologisms to convey an impression of the dystopian otherness of Gilead.

In Handmaids tale, Atwood uses symbols to show the privileges from the important
person in the government. They are allowed to drink coffee, liquor and even smoke
cigarettes when they are considered as a black market product, no citizen can enjoy
this privileges and in this case only the commander and his wive could. The
government only wants full control, so a symbol of ignorance is shutting down the
university because if people start to think and see the reality of the world they live
in, then Gilead will never exist and definitely lawyers were banned and erased
because they know all the laws and could starts movements against this totalitarian
government. Gilead is a symbol of ignorance and oppression because almost no one
knows whats happening outside and will never know, only some and the few that
have access to television, this quote explains it This is the heart of Gilead, where the
war cannot intrude except on television (chapter 5). Marriage is also considered as
a privilege for the powerful people because as the next quote explains it could evade
their service with the angels and still be powerful, They think instead of doing their
duty and of promotion to the Angels, and of being allowed possibly to marry, and
then, if they are able to gain enough power and live to be old enough (Chapter 4)