51ºÚÁÏ

Lesson 14: The Mayday Underground – Resistance or False Hope?

The Handmaid’s Tale | Chapters 33-35

Essential Question: Does Mayday offer true resistance, or is it just another form of control?

This thought-provoking lesson explores the role of Mayday in The Handmaid’s Tale, examining its significance as a potential force of resistance or a manipulated source of false hope. Through engaging discussions, comparative analysis, and structured writing tasks, students will critically assess how Atwood constructs uncertainty around rebellion in dystopian fiction.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the significance of Mayday within Gilead’s regime.
• Analyse the role of resistance in dystopian literature.
• Evaluate whether Mayday provides hope or reinforces control.

Lesson Activities:

Starter Task – Think, Pair, Share:

• Identify historical and fictional resistance movements.
• Discuss whether resistance is always trustworthy or if it can be manipulated.

Group Discussion:

• Examine the secrecy of Mayday and its role in The Handmaid’s Tale.
• Debate whether Offred has reason to trust the resistance.
• Analyse Atwood’s portrayal of uncertainty around rebellion.

Comparative Analysis Task:

• Compare Mayday with other dystopian resistance movements, such as 1984’s Brotherhood or The Hunger Games’ District 13.
• Discuss common themes of resistance and control in dystopian fiction.

Written Task:

• Respond to the question: Does Mayday provide genuine hope for Handmaids, or is it another form of control? Use textual evidence to support your argument.

Why Choose This Lesson?
Ideal for GCSE and A-Level students, this lesson provides an in-depth analysis of power, control, and resistance in The Handmaid’s Tale. It encourages critical thinking, textual engagement, and comparative analysis of dystopian tropes.

Full 30-Lesson Pack Available from 8th March 2025

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