Handmaid's Tail

Topic: Misogyny in the novel Handmaid's Tail

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to analyze the various instances of misogyny present in the novel Handmaid's Tail and discuss how Margaret Atwood conveys her message through these instances.

Materials

• Copies of the novel Handmaid's Tail
• Handouts with examples of misogyny from the novel
• Pencils and paper for students to take notes

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have heard of the novel Handmaid's Tail.
• Ask them to describe the plot of the novel to the class.
• Ask them what they think the novel is about based on the title and the cover.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that the novel is set in a dystopian future, where a religious extremist group has taken over the United States government and instituted a totalitarian regime.
• Explain that women are no longer allowed to work or go to school and are forced to dress in cloaks and head coverings, called "Handmaids," in order to symbolize their subservience to men.
• Introduce the term "misogyny," and explain that it is the hatred of women.
• Explain that the novel explores misogyny through the experiences of the protagonist, a woman named Offred, who is a Handmaid.

Guided Practice:

• Pass out copies of the first chapter of the novel, and have students read it silently.
• As they are reading, have them think about how the society portrayed in the novel promotes misogyny, and how the main character experiences this.
• Have students share their thoughts with the class after they are done reading.

Independent Practice:

• Have students choose a character from the novel that they find particularly interesting, and write a character analysis on that character.
• In their character analysis, students should explore how the character's actions and thoughts contribute to the theme of misogyny in the novel, and how the character's actions and thoughts are influenced by the theme.

Closure:

• As a class, discuss the significance of the theme of misogyny in the novel and how it contributes to the overall message or moral of the story.
• Ask students to reflect on how they feel about the theme of misogyny and how they think it affects society today.

Assessment:

• Collect and grade the presentations made by students as a form of assessment.
• Use a rubric to assess student understanding of the theme of misogyny and how it contributes to the overall message or moral of the story.