Margaret Atwood
Lesson plans and teaching resources for The Handmaid's Tale
|Margaret Atwood: Biography and Background|
|Cat's Eye|
|The Handmaid's Tale|
|Poetry|
Biography and Background
Margaret Atwood
Reviews, articles, related links, and an audio file from the New York Times Archives.
Margaret Atwood
Follow the links to biographical information, a poem, a delightful speech on how Atwood became a poet ("Writing Philosophy"), and other information.
Margaret Atwood Information Web Site
The author's official Web site.
World Book Club
Scroll down to a 2005 BBC interview with Atwood, who discusses The Handmaid's Tale.
Cat's Eye
Cat's Eye
Background information, including plot summary and analysis of themes and issues.
The Handmaid's Tale
Biblical Influences in The Handmaid's Tale
Analysis and discussion questions.
The Handmaid's Tale
These SparkNotes include plot summary, character analysis, and discussion of themes, motifs, and symbols.
Reader's Companion to Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale
Background, an interview with Atwood, discussion questions, and biography.
Study Guide to Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale
Commentary and chapter-by-chapter questions.
AP Style Test: The Handmaid's Tale
This test has selections from the novel with multiple choice AP-style questions. Answers are in italics and bold. There is also an essay question dealing with symbols/motifs, themes, and author's style.
Poetry
Introducing Metaphors Through Poetry
In this lesson students will read excerpts from the work of Langston Hughes ("Dreams"), Margaret Atwood ("You Begin"), and Naomi Shihab Nye ("Blood") in order to gain a deeper understanding of metaphors.
