​Essential Questions:

  • In what ways can dystopian fiction function as a warning about the real-world consequences of unchecked power, political extremism, and the erosion of individual rights?
  • How do systems of power manipulate religion, language, and fear to control bodies and beliefs—and how can similar strategies be seen in real historical or contemporary contexts?
  • What responsibilities do individuals have when a society begins to normalize injustice, and how can people recognize and respond to the early signs of authoritarian control?
  • How do dystopian narratives blur the boundary between imagined futures and historical realities, and what does this reveal about the cyclical nature of oppression?
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum"

Reading Schedule

Week 1 (February 2nd-5th)
Epigraph+Intro-pgs. IX. - 40 (47 pages)

Week 2 (February 8th-12th)
pgs. 41 - 106 (65 pages)

Week 3 (February 15th-19th)
pgs. 107 - 195 (88 pages)

Week 4 (February 22nd-26th)
pgs. 198 - 263 (65 pages)

Week 5 (March 1st-5th)
pgs. 265 - 311 (46 pages)

Focus Points

Motifs and Symbols
Language and Words, specifically:
  • Neologism
  • Biblical allusions/language
  • Offred's language musings
Hierarchical Structure
Government Surveillance
Feminism (Second Wave or other)
Religious Oppression
Gender Violence

Multimedia Resources

Note: This free audio (read by Elizabeth Moss who portrayed Offred in the Netflix series) is missing "The Historical Notes" from the end of the novel.
*Warning: some cursing and profanity.