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The Handmaid’s Tale

Close Reading Analysis Questions for Chapters 35-39

PART 1. Read the passage below (from chapter 35). The first five questions pertain
specifically to this passage.

I take [the photograph] from her, turn it around so I can see

it right-side-up. Is this [my daughter], is this what she’s like?
My treasure[1].
So tall and changed. Smiling a little now, so soon[2], and in
her white dress as if for an olden-days First Communion.
Time has not stood still. It has washed over me, washed me
away, as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a
careless child too near the water. I have been obliterated for
her. I am only a shadow now, far back behind the glib shiny
surface of this photograph. A shadow of a shadow, as dead mothers
become[3]. You can see it in her eyes: I am not there.
But she exists, in her white dress. She grows and lives.
Isn’t that a good thing? A blessing?[4]
Still, I can’t bear it, to have been erased like that. Better
she’d brought me nothing.[5]

1. Refer to the underlined text labeled [1]. Explain the irony of the author’s choice of phrase.

_____ 2. Refer to the underlined text labeled [2]. What does this phrase suggest about the
narrator’s frame of mind? Choose the best answer.
A. She is pleased to know her daughter appears well taken care of.
B. She is saddened to think her daughter has adapted to life without her.
C. She is stunned to see how much her daughter has physically changed.

_____ 3. Refer to the underlined text labeled [3]. This is best considered an example of:
A. Personification
B. Metaphor
C. Imagery

_____ 4. Refer to the underlined text labeled [4]. What does it reflect about the narrator’s frame
of mind? Choose the best answer.
A. It shows that Offred resents her child for living a healthier, happier life.
B. It shows that Offred struggles to maintain an optimistic perspective.
C. It shows that Offred secretly wishes that her child were dead.

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_____ 5. Consider the entirety of the passage. Which inference is best supported?
A. Offred mourns the loss of purpose in her life.
B. Offred experiences suicidal fantasies.
C. Offred worries that her daughter resents her for not being present.

**********

PART 2. The remaining questions do not pertain to a specific passage. Answer each
question to the best of your ability.

_____ 6. What motivates Offred to go out with the Commander in chapter 36?
A. Her boredom
B. Her awareness of her standing with him
C. Her desire to rebel
D. All options are correct

_____ 7. As it is used in chapter 36, the phrase evening rental is an example of:
A. Euphemism
B. Oxymoron
C. Invective
D. All options are correct

_____ 8. Chapter 37 reflects which aspect of Offred’s characterization?

A. Her awareness that, though the Commander seems outwardly benign, he is rigid
in his discriminatory beliefs.
B. Her awareness that, though the Commander is inartful in his communication, he is
probably right about his theories.
C. Her awareness that, though Moira once fought for feminism, she was never really
sincere in her efforts.

9. When Offred sees Moira in chapter 37, Moira’s attire is different from usual. Explain the
irony associated with Moira’s attire.

_____ 10. In chapter 38, the narrator refers to the Underground Femaleroad. This is best
considered an example of:
A. Portmanteau
B. Idiom
C. Allusion
D. Oxymoron

11. Moira calls attention to the hypocrisy of Gilead’s elites in chapter 38. Based on information
Moira provides, in what way(s) are the elites hypocritical?

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This resource is intended for use by a single classroom teacher and may be shared with students in physical form or via school-sanctioned online platforms. Posting
this resource elsewhere online is a violation of this resource’s terms of use and copyright law.
_____ 12. Analyze Moira’s dialogue and behavior in chapter 38. What is her main motivation?
A. To rebel against mistreatment
B. To form lasting relationships with other women
C. To avoid exile--or even worse outcomes
D. To restore a dear friend’s hope

13. Earlier in the novel, Offred informs the audience that her memories are sometimes
“reconstructions,” yet it appears she does not “reconstruct” her last encounter with Moira in
chapter 38. Why do you think Offred declined to portray Moira as defiant until the end?

_____ 14. In the context of chapter 39, all of the following are true EXCEPT:
A. Offred’s mom is revealed to have been considered one of the greater threats to
Gilead.
B. Offred’s behavior at the end of the chapter reveals she pities the Commander
much more than she resents him.
C. Offred realizes her encounter with the Commander is more deceitful than the
Ceremony.
D. Offred imagines her mother alive, but is convinced that an undesirable fate for her
is inevitable.

© Inquiring Mind of the English Teacher Kind

This resource is intended for use by a single classroom teacher and may be shared with students in physical form or via school-sanctioned online platforms. Posting
this resource elsewhere online is a violation of this resource’s terms of use and copyright law.