Analysis of the Handmaid’s Tale
Incorporate at least six of the following elements (1-12) but use more if relevant to your novel. (These
should be integrated into your overall analysis and not isolated as distinct sections in your paper.)
FORM, STRUCTURE, AND PLOT: How is the novel organized? Length? Chapters? Only note these things
if they are significant in some way. Discuss techniques such as flashbacks or dream sequences, stream of
consciousness, chronological order of events, foreshadowing, parallel events, multiple, complex, or simple
plot. How much time is covered? Compare and contrast beginning and ending.
POINT OF VIEW: (Narrative Perspective) Is the novel written from first person (“I”), second person (“you”),
or third person (he/she)? Is it a reminiscence or recent perspective written in the present tense or the past
tense? If in the first person, is he/she the protagonists or an observer? If in third, is he/she omniscient
(knowing everything), limited omniscient (knowing one character most often) or objective (no subjective
Are there any shifts in point of view during the novel?
(Shifts might come from the changed view(s) of the narrator or from different narrators.) What effect does
the author achieve with point of view and what seems to be his/her purpose?
CHARACTER: General comments: flat/round? Static/dynamic? Believable? How are they revealed? How
complex? How many? Protagonist/antagonist? Role of minor characters? Then describe 4-6 central
characters: name, age, three descriptive adjectives, appearance, personality, function in novel, significance
of name, a key quote that reveals character with an explanation of what the quote reveals. Be careful to not
just label the characters with literary terms (“He is round; she is flat!”) but look deeply into who the character
is and what is the author’s purpose in employing that character in the novel.
SETTING: Where and when does the novel occur? How is the environment described? Any symbolic
meanings in the setting? How does the author use setting? What atmosphere is created by the setting?
How important is setting to the novel?
DICTION: Analyze the author’s word choices. First discuss the work in general: is the diction informal,
formal, neutral? Explain and give an example. Does the author use much imagery? Metaphoric and/or ironic
devices? Is the language plain? Flowery? Concise? Strong? Lyrical? Does diction indicate social status,
education, region? How much dialogue is used? How different is the dialogue from the narrative voice?
How distinct is the dialogue from character to character? Select passages featuring different plot segments.
Copy the segments and include in your response. Closely read the passages, then discuss, specifically, the
diction. Comment on how diction helps define character, set tone, further theme, etc.
SYNTAX: (word order, pattern) Analysis of sentence and phrase patterns. Make some general
observations: Are the sentences predominately simple or complex? What about length? Level of formality?
Any fragments? Rhetorical questions? Parallel structure? Repetitions? Is there much variety to the
sentence pattern? How does the author use syntax to create rhythm and flow of the language? How does
the author use syntax to enhance effect and support meaning? Comment on how these choices help define
character, set tone, further theme, etc.
CONCRETE DETAIL/IMAGERY: Words or phrases that appeal to the five senses – most commonly visual.
Look for recurrent images. What function does the imagery seem to have? Use direct quotations from the
text to support your observations.
