Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, published in 1985, remains a timeless and cautionary tale. Naomi Mercer offers a cogent argument for why Atwood's speculative fiction should should be a part of the modern language arts canon.

Concepts

science fiction, dystopian literature, feminism, conservationism

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• To prepare for a full class discussion of the novel, have class members read the New York Times essay on the relationship between The Handmaid's Tale and modern politics, found here

Classroom Considerations

• Some class members may be familiar with the Hulu series and the R-rated 1990 film
• The novel is also frequently listed as an option on the AP English Literature and Composition Free Response prompt

Pros

• The resource includes the video, a comprehension check, links to related resources, and discussion questions

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2