contrast of past and present in The handmaids tale by margaret atwood?

Answer 1

Try this study guide:
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/science_fiction/handmaid.html

Also here:
She shows the possibility of a society, due to radical feminism and conservative positions, where women are repressed. This is both a combination of past times and past movements, with a blending of suppression and the dangers of a patriarchal society.
http://www.goldenessays.com/free_essays/2/english/H/handmaids-tale-by-atwood.shtml