The Handmaid's Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead.  An extreme Christian group has taken over the government we now know and put their own into order.  The novel's protagonist is a woman named Offred.  She is a handmaid which means that she is given to a Commander and his barren wife.  She is taken away from her family and put there for the sole purpose of giving birth.  She begins with small acts of rebellion which culminate into larger acts of "supervised" rebellion in the end.  This novel deals with views of a "sophisticated" society which seems to have its ideals mixed up.

For Future Readers (What To Look For):

   - The way the society is structured and pay attention to the interaction between groups.

   - Colors and their symbolic meanings.

Links
Atwood, Margaret: The Handmaid's Tale

Sparknotes: The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale: A Parable of Woman's Role

J.D. O., copyright 2002