Nicole Stanley

Ms. Gardner
English 4th Period
9 November 2014
Annotated Bibliographies: The Handmaids Tale
Burt, Daniel S. "The Handmaid's Tale." The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novels
of All Time, Revised Edition. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom's
Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 9 Nov. 2014 <http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

Margaret Attwoods feminist novel, The Handmaids Tale, offers a new and different look at
a utilitarian society and the victimized role a woman would play in this society. The
narrator, a Handmaid named Offred, flashes in and out of past memories of motherhood and
marriage to her current life as a sex slave to show the diversity of how the life of the
average American has been changed for the worse. Attwood gives the reader a unique look
at feminism and the role it plays in humanity.

Daniel S. Burts article, The Handmaid's Tale. The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Most
Influential Novels of All Time, gives an overview of the novel and highlights main points
of the book that may have been lost to the reader in the midst of Offreds memories and
current troubles of being a Handmaid. Burt also touches on the feminist traits of the novel
which often present themselves as women only being useful for homemaking and
reproducing with no say or power in anything at all.

"IsFeminismFinished?"ChicagoTribune.N.p.,02Jan.1986.Web.16Nov.2014.

Therearemanythingsthatmakeupandinfluencefeminism,suchaswomengettingless
payalthoughtheyaredoingthesamejobamanmightdo,andthewaywomenareviewed
insocietywithregardstosexualdoublestandardsandothersexualproblems.Althoughthe
articletriestogetthepointacrossthatfeminismisnolongerarealissue,theobvious
continuingoppressionofwomenwithinoursocietywillforevergiveaplatformforthose
wantingtostanduptotheseissues.ThisfeaturefortheChicagoTribunemayhavebeen
writtenin1986;however,theseproblemsarestillpresenttoday,meaningthatfeminismis
stillveryreal.

ManyoftheproblemsaddressedinthearticlearereferencedinTheHandmaidsTale.In
thisbookwomenareviewedasacommoditywithinthesocietybeingusedformens
pleasures,reproductionorasashowpieceofaproperfamilyunit.Thispiecehelpsexplain
theseproblems,whichcanassistthereaderingettingabetterunderstandingofthe
oppressionexperiencedinthebooksutilitariansociety.

Shire,Emily.TheDailyBeast.Newsweek/DailyBeast,n.d.Web.15Nov.2014.

Feminismisaworldwidedebateandcontroversialissueevidencedinmoderndayprotests,
petitions,andpolemics.Shiresarticlereachesouttothosewhodisagreewithfeminismand
triestotellthemthattheirthoughtsagainstfeminismarepointlessandunwantedbysociety.

Manybelievethatwomenandmenshouldbeequalbutarereluctanttocallthemselvesa
feministfortheythinkfeministsbattlemenwheninrealitytheyarejuststandingupfor
whattheybelieveintobeequalrights.

TheHandmaidsTaledefinitelyembodiesfeminism,eventhoughitispresentedina
utilitarianAmericaasanabstracttopicamongthecharacters.Itishardforthereaderto
understandhowhorriblethestorypresentedinthisbooktrulyiswithouthavingasolid
grasponwhatmakesuptheideaoffeminism.Shireseditorialgivesabetterunderstanding
offeminismandhowonecanbetterunderstanditinsteadofdiscriminatingagainstit.Those
whocanrecognizefeminisminlieuofmockingitcanconnectwithTheHandmaidsTale
morethanonewhocannot.

Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Atwood, Margaret." Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature. New York:
Facts On File, Inc., 2006. (Updated 2011.) Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 16
Nov. 2014 <http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE54&WID=103186&SID=5&iPin=EFL031&SingleRecord=True>.

A feminist from Ottawa, Canada, Margaret Atwood has been a voice for those who strongly
believe in equal womens rights throughout her novels based on the injustice and bias of
women. Snodgrasss biographic article on Atwood and her way of writing the anti-fairy
tale illuminates her dark feelings on the downfall of mankind. Atwood has also attended
University of Toronto, Radcliffe College, and Harvard University, where she got an
intensive disciplining in literature, which shows in her many novels and poems she has

written over the years.

Atwood provides new concepts on society and feminism throughout her novel, The
Handmaids Tale, which helps the reader see why many turn their focus to womens rights
and the theme of feminism. This article helps to show how Atwood puts her life and beliefs
into her books to give the reader a sense of being one with the author and truly connecting
with her thoughts and feelings. Rather then any other short biography that just states the
facts about the authors, this article looks into Atwoods personal life to depict how it
influences her breathtaking work.

Sova, Dawn B. "Censorship History of The Handmaid's Tale." Banned Books: Literature
Suppressed on Sexual Grounds, Third Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2011.
Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 16 Nov. 2014
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE54&WID=103186&SID=5&iPin=BBSX3090&SingleRecord=True>.

Dawn B. Sovas article, Censorship History of The Handmaids Tale tells the story of
Margaret Attwoods feminist novel, The Handmaids Tale, being challenged to be taken out
of the senior reading curriculum at Rancho Cotati High School in Rohnert Park, California.
The novels sexually explicit and profane traits fulfill the accusations made by a local
minister. (Sova) The article also touches on many other stories such as this where the novel
in question was removed on account of numerous sex scenes and obscenity.

This critique shines a light on the x-rated and cruder topics and scenes of the novel. Even
though many may not favor these attributes, they add feeling and excitement to the story
and without them the reader would not understand the true sentiments of the main character,
Offred.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "Atwood, Margaret." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short
Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. (Updated 2011.) Bloom's
Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 16 Nov. 2014
<http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE54&WID=103186&SID=5&iPin=CASS061&SingleRecord=True>.

This article serves as a bibliography on the Canadian author, Margaret Atwood. Werlock
talks about Atwoods many novels that often include ideas on women in society and
feminism at its worse. Atwood wrote her first book in 1969 and has continued to inspire
readers today with her strong views on the world. Even though she is dead now, Atwood is
shown as a correspondent, as an anarchist, and as a women who spurs readers.

At the heart of all Atwoods novels is the theme of feminism and womens role in society,
which directly relates to the topics of The Handmaids Tale. This helps the reader
understand why Atwood would choose such deep, debatable, and discerning topics to write
about. Atwoods dark poetry also relates to the gloomy tone in The Handmaids Tale as well
as the way she viewed her Canadian background. Overall, the article helps the reader to
understand that Margaret Atwoods novels are simply a representation of herself.