THE HANDMAIDS TALE CONTEXT

SETTING

• 1985
• in what was us
• 'when they shot pres'
• 'mass ave'-masachusetts avenue 
• why are these recognixable flashbacks effective?
• SATISRISES appects of society for modern america
• makes furture seem even more liekly 
• HARVARD UNI=IRONIC-once famous place of learning
• she sets historcial notes in university enviornemtn  2195
• more pos

LITERARY CONTEXT

• CORAL ANN HOWELL 'PRIMARY FUNCTION DYSTOPIA SENF OUT DANGER SIGNALS'

1984

• SIMAILR WARNING ABOUT TOTALITRAISN
• not too dustranrt future 
• abuse of language 
• sim oppressive structure 
• 1984 set in london 1940 post ww1 problem
• context of cold war and stalisnsm 
• building of berlin wall
• recent memories of nazi germany

HITLER AND NAZIS

• 1930s rise to power 
• promise of new g and placed empahsis on family values 
• fanatical adoration of hitler young ones most fanatical 
• both undesirable gone
• third reich encouraged to betray and gilead sim
• jews etc subhuman and can be killed without remorse like offred and 'have t create an it to kill it etc
• jews yellow badeg and offreds tatoo
• children of undesirables taken like offreds daighter 

CHINA AND CULRUAL REV

• 1960s leader communist state MAO ZEDONG
• communist
• alot of socla and cultural upheaval 
• china youth 'red guards'
• intellectuals illtreated
• books not used aside from 'little red book'
• children of bourgeoise forcible removed and adopted by local communists 

ECHOES OF ISLAMIC GROUPS

• segregation of sexes-modest dress code for women and ban on dancing 
• taliban notious 10 years after publiaaion girls not allowed eductaion
• public stoning 
• atwood witnesses first hand afghanistan world tour 1975

PUNISHMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS

• encouraged obdeience via brutal punishemtn 
• public hangings
• atwood recognised this happened in alot spocieties 
• want to promote human rights 
• canada CAPITAL OUNSIHMENT TSOPPED 1962 BUT STILL SENETNCES IN NEIGHBOURING AMERICA 
• ppl invited to wath 
• china and north korea public executions 

BRUTALITY

• children of ham and black-deported gilead cliams they being resettled
• refects slavers perspective black africans inferior 

ESCAPE

• alot of SYMPHASISERS HELPED SLAVES ESCAPE/FLEE TO CANADA VIA UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
• HELP GIVEN BY QAURKERS 
• underground FRAILROAD
• moira nearly reached border 

LINGUISTIC REPRESSION

• even in more liberal regimes-cencorship-ensures only hear what powers want 
• postcards 'could write on'
• only few prvaledged aunts can read and write 
• books in office illegal
• commander reads bible to household 
• 'incendiary devices' ;'who knos what we would make of it'

WRITING

• 'can feel power its words contain'
• playing scrabble feels sensous thrill etc 
• handmaids silent or used prescribed formulaic response
• RUSS INSISTNCE RUSSIAN IN HUNGARAIN SCHOOLS DURING POST WAR OCCUPATION UNTILL 1989
• BRIT INSISTNEC ENG PIRAMTY LANG IN WALES

NUCLEAR PLANT ACCIDENTS 

• PIEIXTOT ENG BOOK REFERENCE
• prior to wriritng book posed serious threat
• 1979 THREE MILE ISLAND PLANT INCIDENT 1979
• NO ONE KILLED BUT…