The Handmaid's Tale is written in the first person narrative by the main character Offred. It is written in an autobiographical narrative. Offred is telling her story, events from her past and present in the simple present tense. The narrative is also seen by some as a whole a memory, supposedly told to a tape recorder at a time after the events described.

The first person narrative creates a personal relationship between the narrator `Offred' and the reader. Like a dramatic monologue the reader is being involved in the main story. It is like they are a part of the story. The use of the first person narrative allows us to see Offred's story from her point of view, with no outside influence. This makes us emphasize with her and her current situation...