Highlight: The juxtaposition of Offred's past and present emphasizes the drastic changes brought about by the Gilead regime, particularly in terms of women's rights and personal freedoms.

Vocabulary: "Econowives" - Women in Gilead who are married to lower-ranking men and must fulfill all traditional female roles (domestic, reproductive, etc.) themselves.

Example: Offred's cautious exchanges with Nick demonstrate the constant tension and suspicion that permeates relationships in Gilead.

Quote: "We used to talk about buying a house like one of these, an old Victorian, with wooden lace trim and a front porch... We would have a garden, vegetables, and flowers both. We would have children. Although we knew it wasn't too likely, we would have liked a girl and a boy."

Highlight: Offred's memories of her past life, including marching in feminist rallies, serve as a poignant reminder of the freedoms lost under the Gilead regime.

Example: Moira's attempted escape and subsequent punishment illustrate the harsh consequences for those who defy Gilead's rules.

Vocabulary: "Unwoman" - A term used in Gilead to describe women who are unable or unwilling to fulfill their designated roles, often resulting in their exile to the Colonies.

Quote: "I used to think of my body as an instrument, of pleasure, or a means of transportation, or an implement for the accomplishment of my will... Now the flesh arranges itself differently. I'm a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am and glows red within its translucent wrapping."

Highlight: The loss of personal identity is a recurring theme, as Offred struggles to maintain a sense of self in a system designed to erase individuality.

Example: The doctor's offer to impregnate Offred illegally demonstrates the hypocrisy within the system and the dangerous positions Handmaids are placed in.

Vocabulary: "The Ceremony" - The ritualized act of sexual intercourse between a Commander, his Wife, and a Handmaid, designed for procreation.

Quote: "We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories."