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Situational Irony
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis:
Atwood's style of writing often situates Offred as a passive object relative to her surroundings, whether through figurative and literal description or by use of the passive voice. This stylistic choice implicitly communicates Offred's dire situation to the reader, complementing more explicit plot elements.
The following excerpt from Chapter 2 exhibits Atwood's stylistic passivity well:
I go out into the polished hallway, which has a runner down the center, dusty pink. Like a path through the forest, like a carpet for royalty, it shows me the way. The carpet bends and goes down the front staircase and I go with it.
In the above description of Offred's walk from her room to the front door of the house, Atwood makes it clear that her protagonist is not in control. Offred does not walk out the door, she "go[es] with" the carpet. The carpet, an inanimate object, possesses all of the agency in this scene, while Offred herself has none.
Another important stylistic choice Atwood makes in The Handmaid's Tale relates to the chapters themselves: namely, that they are short and frequently center on one specific memory or event. The shortness of these chapters parallels the fragmentary nature of Offred's life—a result of past and ongoing trauma.
