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Questions about the dystopian novel 'The Handmaid's Tale' (1985) by Margaret Atwood. Use this tag with the [margaret-atwood] tag.

9 votes
3 answers
4k views

Meaning of "the way they used to use up old women, in Russia, sweeping dirt" in "The Handmai...

I think of my mother, sweeping up deadly toxins; the way they used to use up old women, in Russia, sweeping dirt. Only this dirt will kill her. What does this mean?