Dystopian fiction has remained a popular literary genre for decades, largely because it acts as both a mirror for our current society and a warning for the future. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood remains a culturally important and relevant work, spawning a critically acclaimed television series and contributing terminology and visual imagery to real-world social and political movements. 

This is not a novel study or book club, but a focused look into dystopian societies in media and how they reflect contemporary events and concepts. As part of Dissecting Dystopia series, this class will guide learners towards answering the following questions:

• What elements of dystopias can you identify in The Handmaid's Tale?
• How does the society in The Handmaid's Tale affect the personal, social, professional, economic, and religious spheres of characters' lives?
• Do any elements of The Handmaid's Tale seem utopian at first look?
• How have elements of The Handmaid's Tale affected language in the real world?
• What are the social, political, or economic messages of The Handmaid's Tale?

Learners should read The Handmaid's Tale prior to class. This class does not cover the events of The Testaments (Margaret Atwood's sequel novel). While I will use some non-graphic stills from The Handmaid's Tale show for visual reference for topics such as how clothing color is used to segregate the social and economic spheres, the focus of this course is the novel, not the television series, and events and characters that exist solely in the show will not be included in discussion. 

This course is taught through a mix of lecture and discussion, with visual references to illustrate specific points. I will explain each concept, provide examples, and then ask learners for additional examples to ensure they understand the concepts and how to apply them. 

Learners are strongly encouraged to take Dissecting Dystopia: Intro to Dystopias prior to this class, as it introduces learners to terminology and concepts that will be used in this class.