Chapter 2: Epigraph – Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Chapter 2 consists solely of three epigraphs. The first describes the historical massacre at Kerman ordered by Agha Mohammed Khan, where adults were beheaded and children blinded. The second is an inscription from a Carthaginian funerary urn, speaking of boundless sea, merciless goddess Tanit, answered prayers, and drowning in love. The third is a concise statement from Sheila Watson: “The word is a flame burning in a dark glass.”
These quotations do not advance a narrative. Instead, they collectively foreshadow the bundle’s preoccupations with historical atrocity, personal sacrifice, divine cruelty, and the ambiguous power of language.
Key Events
- The epigraph presents three unattributed quotations.
- The first quotation recounts the 18th-century massacre of Kerman by Agha Mohammed Khan.
- The second quotation is a first-person voice from an ancient Carthaginian burial inscription.
- The third quotation offers a metaphor for language as both illumination and destruction.
No narrative events occur; the chapter functions as a thematic gateway.
Character Development
No characters from the novels appear. The epigraphs introduce:
- Agha Mohammed Khan – historical Persian ruler who ordered the Kerman massacre.
- Tanit – Carthaginian goddess of love and war, referenced in the urn inscription.
- Unnamed speaker – a voice from the Carthaginian urn, possibly a sacrificed individual or mourner.
These are not novel characters but archetypal figures that resonate with the bundle’s themes.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Violence and Atrocity: The Kerman massacre establishes a motif of state‑sanctioned brutality and the vulnerability of civilians. This theme recurs throughout Atwood’s novels, particularly in dystopian settings.
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Sacrifice and Devotion: The Carthaginian inscription suggests a religious or romantic sacrifice. “Tanit was merciless, my prayers were answered” implies a bargain with a harsh deity, reflecting the cost of devotion.
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Boundless Sea and No Shore: The image of an endless sea symbolizes isolation, trauma, or an inescapable quest. It links to motifs of water (baptism, drowning, purification) found in later chapters.
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The Word as Flame: Watson’s line presents language as both illuminating and destructive. A flame burns but also gives light; a dark glass suggests obscured vision. This motif prepares the reader for Atwood’s own use of language to reveal and conceal truth.
Why This Chapter Matters
Though brief, the Epigraph chapter is the lens through which the entire bundle should be read. It announces that the novels will explore the intersection of historical evil, personal sacrifice, and the power of narrative. By beginning with a real massacre and a ritual lament, Atwood grounds fictional horrors in documented human cruelty. The epigraphs function as a pact: the stories to follow will not flinch from darkness, nor from the beauty found in pain.
This chapter also demonstrates Atwood’s intertextual method. She borrows from Kapuściński (nonfiction reportage), ancient Carthaginian ritual, and a Canadian novelist. This bricolage signals that her own fiction will weave together history, myth, and metafiction.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why might Atwood begin a collection of four novels with an account of the Kerman massacre?
Atwood uses the massacre to establish that the atrocities in her novels – such as Gilead’s theocracy or the Craker violence – are not mere speculation. By citing a real historical event, she insists that human cruelty is not confined to fiction. It also introduces the theme of totalitarian power that appears in The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake.
2. How does the Carthaginian funerary inscription relate to the theme of sacrifice?
The inscription speaks of a merciless goddess, answered prayers, and “you who drown in love.” This suggests a human sacrifice or a vow kept at enormous cost. It parallels the sacrificial roles of characters like Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale or the blind child survivors in The Blind Assassin, where love and destruction intertwine.
3. What does the metaphor “the word is a flame burning in a dark glass” suggest about Atwood’s view of storytelling?
The metaphor implies that language has both illuminating and destructive power. A flame in dark glass can provide guidance (like a lamp) or mislead (a distorted reflection). Atwood’s narratives often expose hidden truths but do so through unreliable narrators, fragmented memories, and layered texts – a dark glass that demands careful reading.