English Literature: University Interactive Talk on The Handmaid’s Tale With Dr Clare Connors From University of East Anglia

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In this English Literature session, Dr Clare Connors, Associate Professor in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at University of East Anglia, will run an interactive talk for students on The Handmaid’s Tale.

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel about power. Most obviously, it offers a bleak, dystopian picture of the power of patriarchy and of totalitarian regimes. But it is also a – rather more joyful – celebration of another kind of power: the power of language, writing and literature.

That is what this talk will explore. We’ll crowd-source a list of the many different kinds of language and communication the novel represents, from the lip-reading mentioned in the very first chapter onwards. We’ll tease out what the novel says about language, relate this to what it does with language and then connect all this to its criticisms of totalitarian power.

Finally (and turning to the epilogue) we’ll think about what the ideal reader of the language of, and in, this novel would be like.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Clare Connors

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Key Stage 5 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, English Literature and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here