Margaret Atwood wrote this in chapter 10 of The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). It is part of Offred’s fictional narration about life before Gilead, not an independently recorded speech by Atwood.
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In context
Evoking the world of Margaret Atwood — Canadian novelist and poet. Theme: "Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
The source
Novel
The Handmaid’s Tale, 1985
Location
Chapter 10
Voice
Offred’s first-person narration
Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.
The 1985 English novel is copyrighted. Only the short identifying sentence is excerpted.
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Context
Why it mattered
Offred remembers a time when disturbing news could be treated as something happening elsewhere, outside the routines of ordinary life. The distinction makes ignoring an active refusal of attention, which is why critics debate whether the passage confesses complicity as well as describing vulnerability.
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Filed under
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Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet and critic whose fiction explores power, gender and the stories people tell about themselves. Her novels include The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride and the Booker Prize-winning The Blind Assassin.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale. 1985, chapter 10.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance, you have to work at it’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/ignoring-isnt-the-same-as-ignorance-you-have-to-work-at-it/