In this video, we’re looking at the ending of Margaret Atwood’s novel 'The Handmaid’s Tale'. To start, let’s ask a seemingly obvious question: what even is the ending of the novel? Does the narrative end at the point of Offred’s deportation (the end of Ch. 46), or does it actually conclude with the end of the ‘Historical Notes’ section, which functions as a kind of epilogue where a certain Professor Piexoto presents his academic research on the Gileadean theocracy from a retrospective point of view? And what symbol significance might both 'endings' carry to help deepen our understanding of Offred, the power structures in Gilead, Atwood's use of narrative consciousness - and our own psychology as readers? I explore all these topics with close reference to detailed textual evidence in this video.

TIMESTAMPS:
02:32 - Analysing the end of Chapter 46: Significance of Offred's deportation
08:52 - Analysing the end of the 'Historical Notes': Questioning our need for closure

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