Madison Ryan

Mann
AP Lit & Comp
23 October 2017
INTRODUCTION:
HOOK: Begin with a lead in about the eternal nature of a classic - use notorious examples. Use
the features of each example to parallel with features recognizable with the impact of The
Handmaids Tale and then compare them. Draw that back to a bigger picture - Be Diverse!
WORKING THESIS: Themes universally recognizable set in a world sculpted by the fears of
every woman, Atwoods Handmaids Tale is an examination of human society that transcends
time and culture. This thirty year old novel continuously impacts society by reflecting it to its
core; its accuracy in representing the nightmarish possibilities every woman lives under and
using them to enunciate every strength and flaw in human nature earns this novel a place in the
literary canon.

BODY P1:
Topic: The setting of The Handmaids Tale, Gilead, is a set warning on the inherent
patriarchal nature of society and the dangers that could arise from it.
At the same time, youre going to force women to have babies by making it so
they cant get abortions. Thats like being drafted into the army. Except at least in
the army, you get three square meals a day and a place to sleep. Youre not left
out on the street. If youre going to take away womens choice and not give them
an adequate wage or healthcare, what would you call that? Id call it a bad deal.
(Atwood from Dockterman, TIME)
All events that led to the shaping of Gilead were real events that occurred around
the time that Atwood penned the novel. Includes statements regarding that from
Atwood herself (Neuman).
The features of the premise (toxic waste, religion, financial dependency, return to
form) in the novel, specifically centered around the politics and Luke, Offreds
own husband (Atwood The Handmaids Tale)
BODY P2:
Topic: Offred and her struggles are in themselves a reflection of societys eternal struggle
with itself in the face of adversity.
Evidence & Analysis
Offreds repeated instances of having to correct herself and motivate herself from
taking action and from deviating from her role as a handmaid. Focus on her
perspective of the brainwashing (Atwood The Handmaids Tale)
Note the research and discussion of the highly politicized nature of the Western
Canon and connect to the parallels between Offreds behavior and the passivity of
modern culture (Backe). [Add http://www.theory.org.uk/ctr-ador.htm to biblio as
reference for passiveness theory]
For all the risk taking with Ofglen, and later with Nick, Offred is continuously
afraid of making any choices...Even worse, she is flooded with relief when the
first Ofglen kills herself, because it means that no one will learn of her own
disobediences and indirect affiliation with Mayday (Wagener-Lawlor).
 BODY P3:
Topic: The combined presentation and interaction of these two elements serve as a
reminder of the constants in the unceasing movement of time and politics.
Evidence & Analysis
The control of women and babies has been a part of every repressive regime in
history...But The Handmaids Tale is always relevant, just in different ways in
different political contexts. Not that much has changed. (Atwood in Dockterman
TIME)
And that's the beginning of it. And when I really focused in more on that, I
thought, wow, that seems like it could happen somehow... I could see how it
grows and then becomes this other horrible theocracy where (Neary in
Weekend Edition Sunday).
The breakdown of the Historical Notes and parallel with real instances similar to
it to connect the past to the hypothetical future (Atwood Handmaids Tale).

BODY P4:
Topic: The pieces commentary about the nature of power, which has rung true of every
leadership in history, further accentuates the fundamental realness of the novel that can
be tied to any culture or time period.
Evidence & Analysis
The Jezebels portion of the novel - I thought this sort of thing was strictly
forbidden, I say. Well, officially, he says. But everyones human, after
all...Nature demands variety for men...Women know that instinctively(Atwood
237).

Moss: Youve said a lot, and Ive repeated often, that everything that happened
in The Handmaids Tale has happened. Atwood: Somewhere at some time. I made
nothing up (Dockterman TIME).

The juxtaposition of three key termscanon, power, and culturecreates a

word-play in German that suggests that canon creates culture, is a force within
culture, and serves as an instrument of cultural power all at once. The title thus
expresses an understanding of canon as an intrinsic element within the complex,
interdependent system of the production, distribution, reception, and evaluation of
literary texts (Backe).

BODY P5:
Topic: The pieces physical impact on modern society because of its thoroughness
regarding human nature takes the merit beyond simply a comment on the human
condition to a challenge and a warning to all those who read it.
Evidence & Analysis
The spottiness of the Historical Notes in Denay, Nunavit regarding the severity
of the treatment of women and how it will always be remembered but never truly
honored (Atwood The Handmaids Tale).
 Its also full of warnings about the danger that comes from failing to recognize
that such oppression is categorical, and gendered...an ironic expression of the old
fear that if women were given power over men, theyd subjugate them, castrate
them, humiliate them (Schwartz).
But in the light of the concluding "Historical Notes" and what I have argued is
the novel's generic status as a particular kind of Contextual Dystopia, possibly the
first of its kind, purely destructive satire would be quite out of place. Both men
and women come in for attack in The Handmaid's Tale. But Atwood's concern is
not with the destruction of either sex; it is with their mutual survival (Ketterer).

CONCLUSION:
FINALE: Combine the flow from the individual features of the novel to the larger picture that
went into them to the bigger picture that they left.
SO WHAT: The unique naturalized vagueness in the specificity of the events of The Handmaids
Tale are a unique call to action to readers of any sex, culture, religion, or time period. Because of
this, the novel is universal, and uses that status to warn humanity for its survival. The
consequences that come from Offreds, societys lack of initiative and the Gileadean, patriarchal
power structure affect all people equally. This will culminate into a cycle of harm and doom for
the species that will repeat, stagnating human progress and development. It is by recognizing
these risks and issues presented in the novel that mankind can go about solving them, rather than
arguing about their validity and bias. Its fundamental realism makes The Handmaids Tale a
classic; its timelessness an example of the unification necessary to make reality less harmful.