In "The Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood explores a profound relationship between mortality and the instinct for survival. The quote, "Death makes me hungry," reflects a deep existential awareness, suggesting that facing the reality of death can provoke a strong desire for life and fulfillment. This hunger can stem from feeling emotionally depleted or sensing a threatening absence in one's existence.

The idea presented also hints at a primal response where the body reacts to the acknowledgment of death by intensifying the urge to live. This duality captures a complex human experience—where the fear of mortality fuels a hunger for experiences that affirm life, highlighting the tension between decay and vitality that permeates the narrative.