The Handmaids Tale
Margaret Atwood
Contributed by Marshall Raine
Chapter 42
Summary

The chapter begins with a bell ringing, Offred is in a line, walking in pairs on their way to a ‘Salvaging’. They walk past the Angels and enter into the quadrangle that is situated in front of the library. Offred notes that she had only attended a salvage once, two-years ago. In this case, one wife and two handmaids will be executed on stage, potentially drugged into complacency. Aunt Lydia comes to the stage, and Offred cannot help but feel hate towards her. Aunt Lydia then states that she would not be explaining what these women had done to deserve execution, in order to prevent people from committing copycat crimes. This upsets many handmaids, as they desire to know the mistakes these women had done to avoid being salvaged as well. As the women are hanged, other handmaids place their hands on the rope to show that they are also taking part in the execution (Atwood, 2004).

Analysis

The fact that Aunt Lydia does not want to tell the handmaids the kind of crimes the women had committed shows that there is some level of rebellion within the handmaids. As such, this is encouraging as it shows that there is no absolute control in Gilead. By touching the rope when the victims were being hanged, the handmaids ensured their culpability. This goes to show the extent to which Gilead uses peer influence to create unity among women. However, this is done for the purposes of policing the women. When they are in unity, they are less likely to engage in rebellious behaviours, and if one of them acts in such a manner, the women can collectively punish her.

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