ISU Journal "Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Essay by Dealaddict1231High School, 12th grade April 2007

download word file, 20 pages 1.0

AuthorThe author of the book The Handmaid's Tale is Margaret Atwood. Margaret Atwood was born on November 18, 1939 in Ottawa, Ontario. Margaret is the second out of three children in her family. Due to her father's career Atwood spent most of her time travelling within Canada. As a result of this Atwood did not finish a full year of school until she was in grade eight. Atwood studied very hard earning several different degrees from several different universities. She received one of her highest degrees at Harvard University. Atwood spent a lot of her spare time reading and she was influenced by the authors of the novels she read. These influences caused her to write and publish her very own books. Margaret Atwood began writing in 1957, at the age of eighteen. She has several different literary works. Some of the novels she wrote are, The Edible Women, Surfacing, Lady Oracle, Life Before Man, Bodily Harm, The Handmaid's Tale, Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake, and The Penelopiad.

SettingHandmaid's Tale is set in the state of Gilead, a totalitarian state that replaced the United States after the president and members of congress are assassinated. The Handmaid's Tale takes place in the 1980's. This was also the time Margaret Atwood wrote and published this book. The atmosphere of the novel is an atmosphere filled with controlling minds and taking away the freedom of individuals. In the novel people are forced to reproduce and even have sexual relationships with a certain individuals. Offred the main character in the novel lives at the Red Center. The Red Center is a place where women are trained and brainwashed into submission to their new role in The Republic of Gilead. Offred the main character in...