The Handmaid's Tale Summary
Margaret Atwood

Everything you need to understand or teach The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

  • The Handmaid's Tale Summary & Study Guide
  • 32 Student Essays
  • 1 Encyclopedia Article
  • 20 Literature Criticisms
  • 1 Book Notes
  • ...and more
  • 30 The Handmaid's Tale Lessons
  • 20 Activities
  • 180 Multiple Choice Questions
  • 60 Short Essay Questions
  • 20 Essay Questions
  • Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
  • ...and more

The Handmaid's Tale Summary

By the time The Handmaid's Tale was published in 1985, Margaret Atwood had already been an internationally recognized figure in literature for twenty years. Her work has been characterized as having a "feminist" focus, and this novel certainly fit into that simple understanding; the story describes a society where dehumanization of women is not just a custom but actually the law.

What keeps the novel from being only a work of propaganda for feminist...

(read more from the Study Guide)

Study Pack

The The Handmaid's Tale Study Pack contains:

The Handmaid's Tale Study Guide

Lesson Plan

The Handmaid's Tale Lesson Plans contain 98 pages of teaching material, including: