
The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of a dystopian future, told in the first person by Offred. The society as we know it has crumbled. What's taken its place, is a totalitarian system that oppresses women across social class by establishing an extremely patriarchal society. The narrative has 3 sides, 'The Then' where Offred talks about her past and recalls major events leading up to the fall of the government. 'The Now', which gives us a view of the life of a typical handmaid. The third side is sort of like a dream state or a state of thoughts, where Offred is wondering about a certain event or time in her life - past, present, and future. These 3 sides mix and overlap one another so the narrative switches between past and present seamlessly. There are many themes that the book touches upon, from feminism, inequality to politics, and religion. ...