Cassandra Bekiaris - Tutorial Assignment.pdf - The...

The Handmaid’s Tale: Tutorial 2
Section VI Household - Section IX Night (Chapters 14-24, pages 87-169)
Part One: Questions and Answers
1. Readers do not learn that the narrator is called Offred until Chapter 14, and her true
identity is never revealed. How does Atwood’s withholding the narrator’s name affect the
reader’s understanding of Offred?
2. Carefully read the passage from Chapter 20 in section VIII: “Birth Day” beginning with
the paragraph “First come the title and some names...” and ending, “But there was no
point to it, this wanting.” Analyze the techniques Atwood uses to portray the complex
relationship between the characters. Consider tone, word choice, and selection of detail.
(This is not a plot summary, character study or relationship description.)