Tulips

"The tulips are red, a darker crimson towards the stem, as if they have been cut and are beginning to heal there." (pg. 12)

Margaret Atwood used red tulips as a major symbol in The Handmaid's Tale. Again with the tulips, is the use of the color red. Although flowers usually symbolize something positive, in this novel, they stand for something much different. Like the healing tulips, the woman in this novel were "cut off" too. With lack of an education, books, and money women were cut off from society.

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Red

"Everything except the wings around my face is red: the color of blood, which defines us." (pg. 8)

In The Handmaid's Tale, color is what defines women as well as how they are feeling. Throughout the novel, Martha Atwood connects the color red with Offred and what defines her. From the gloves to the dresses that they wear, handmaids are always dressed in red. The red is a reminder of their fertility and life's mission. Red also represents death and violence.

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Handmaids and other groups

"She's in her usual Martha's dress, which is dull green, like a surgeon's gown of the time before." (pg. 9)

In The Handmaids Tale, women are seperates into three main groups. Handmaids, Wives, and Marthas. Handmaids sole purpose in life is to reproduce once they reach a certain maturity level. Wives are obviously the married women while Marthas are maids/servants. People distinguish what group the women are in by the color that she wears: Handmaids are red, Marthas are green, and Wives are dressed in blue. Conflict sometimes arrises throughout the novel between the wives and handmaids out of jealousy.

Working Against. "The Handmaid's Tale." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 31 May 2010.

The Angels

"The Angels stood outside with their backs to us." (pg. 4)

Margaret Atwood introduces "The Angels" within the first piece of the novel, The Handmaids Tale. The Angels or guards, stood outside of the fence were the handmaids went for the walks. The handmaids spoke about wanting the Angels to notice them, but they never turned around. The reason the handmaids longed for attention from the guards was to try to make a deal with them. The thought if they could just speak to the Angels they could do their one mission in life: reproduce.

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