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Motifs
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Key Examples in The Handmaid’s Tale
Chapter 5
Explanation and Analysis:
The Handmaid's Tale is broadly set in North America, likely in what was formerly the U.S. or Canada. The novel takes place in the near-ish future, relative to when Atwood was writing (1985). The Handmaid's Tale paints a picture of a potential dystopian future for America, should religious zealots take over the government. Ironically, the very horrors that occur in this dystopian American future are horrors the U.S. has inflicted on other countries, using its influence to prop up pro-U.S. dictators. Following in the footsteps of her predecessors within the dystopian genre, Atwood uses speculation and imagination to hold a mirror up to the face of the U.S. empire.
Related Themes:
