The Handmaid’s Tale Chapters 44-45: A New Woman on the Corner | Banned Books Podcast
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RSS Feed After the Salvaging, things are supposed to be back to normal. Then the handmaid walks to the corner to meet Ofglen, and Dan and Jennifer realize this walk is not like the others. By the end of Chapter 45, someone is waiting on the front steps, and she is holding something.
This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter. We don’t read ahead, so you’re discovering the story with us.
Things To Listen For:
- Robot catches everyone up on Chapter 43 and calls out Dan for a word nobody has ever used at an execution.
- Someone shows up at the corner, and something is off. Dan has a theory before Jennifer finishes the paragraph.
- Jennifer pulls out a word from the very first chapter of the season. Robot has been waiting months for this moment.
- Dan makes an official Banned Camp prediction. With one chapter left, hold him to it.
- Beowulf brings good news from the Great White North, and Dan explains what Canada really is to America.
Why was The Handmaid’s Tale banned?
These chapters have lipstick, sequins and a wife who blames the wrong person, the kind of thing challengers point to. But the part that really scares book banners is how easily Gilead swaps one woman for another under the same name, and how fast everyone is expected to forget.
If this is your first episode, you’re fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers).
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- Good News for Lefties: Beowulf Rochlen’s show about good news for progressives. He is also our news correspondent on Banned Camp, and this week he brings a story from Ottawa about a bookstore move that is the exact opposite of a book ban.
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Featured Clips
This episode includes short clips from “Memories” by Maroon 5 and the “adult voice” trombone sound from the Peanuts animated specials. All rights belong to their respective owners and are used here under fair use for the purpose of cultural commentary and education.
Disclaimer
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines.
The material used from the book The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid’s Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was The Handmaid’s Tale banned?
The Handmaid’s Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed “offensive to Christians.” But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and “protecting families” as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That’s the part that actually scares book banners, because it looks a lot like Tuesday.
Is there a podcast that discusses The Handmaid’s Tale chapter by chapter?
Yes. Banned Camp breaks down a different banned book every season, one chapter at a time, through comedy, commentary, and discussion. Neither host has read ahead, so you’re discovering the story together in real time. Season 11 covers The Handmaid’s Tale. Every episode mixes a short reading with reactions, a fact-checking Robot, and a look at why the book gets banned. We always encourage listeners to read along with their own copy.
Do I need to start Banned Camp from the beginning?
No. Every episode opens with Robot’s recap of the previous chapter, so you can jump in anywhere. Most listeners tell us they started mid-season and went back to the beginning after they were hooked.
What happens to Ofglen in The Handmaid’s Tale?
In Chapter 44, a new woman meets Offred at the corner and introduces herself as Ofglen. Later she whispers that the first Ofglen hanged herself after the Salvaging, when she saw the van coming. Banned Camp’s Dan and Jennifer react as Jennifer reads, and debate whether the new Ofglen is telling the truth.
What does palimpsest mean in The Handmaid’s Tale?
A palimpsest is an old page scraped clean and written over, where traces of the first writing still show through. Atwood uses the word in Chapter 1 to describe the gym at the Red Center. On Banned Camp, Jennifer connects it to the new Ofglen, and Robot explains why the word fits.
Topics Covered:
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood, Chapter 44, Chapter 45, Offred, Ofglen, Serena Joy, the Commander, Nick, Moira, Luke, Janine, Aunt Lydia, Beowulf Rochlen, Maroon 5, identity and erasure, fear and surrender, jealousy and blame, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast
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