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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where was Offred’s daughter first stolen?

2. What is the baby in Chapter 8 called?

3. What did the narrator do as a little girl?

4. Who does the narrator go shopping with in Chapter 2?

5. What has Janine now avoided in Chapter 8?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Offred and the other women take naps at the center?

2. Who is the girl in the photograph in Chapter 3, and how does the narrator respond to seeing it?

3. If Luke is in jail in Chapter 7, what happened to him?

4. What is the role of the Marthas?

5. Describe the narrator’s mother as depicted in Chapter 3.

6. In Chapter 6, how does the Commander pray?

7. Why does the narrator start thinking about Moira at night in Chapter 3?

8. Why is it significant that the women discuss their names at the beginning of the novel?

9. What does Offred’s mother say about her father?

10. What fate has Janine avoided by having the baby?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Each role in the novel has a particular color associated with it – red for Handmaids, blue for Wives, and so on. Why are these colors important? Examine the importance and symbolism of various colors throughout the book, tying them to characterizations.

Essay Topic 2

Gilead is a strict hierarchical society. Describe the hierarchy of Gilead, and give descriptions of various characters we encounter in “The Handmaid’s Tale” and how they fit into the hierarchy. Why is this hierarchy necessary?

Essay Topic 3

Though the novel focuses on Handmaids, other characters, in other roles, also permeate the book. Describe one role in-depth. What are some of the advantages of this role? Disadvantages?

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