Chapter one of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood uses aspects of descriptive sensory language in this opening piece.  For example, Atwood uses detailed descriptions to show the reader the setting: "The floor was of varnished wood, with stripes and circles painted on it, for the games that were formerly played there; the hoops for the basketball nets were still in place, though the nets were gone." The effect of this creates a sinister vision of reality.  Another example focuses on capturing the sense of smell, "I thought I could smell, faintly like an afterimage, the pungent scent of sweat, shot through with the sweet taint of chewing gum and perfume." The effect of this passage is to capture old smells from girls and boys in PE.  We are also provided with sounds: "the music lingered, a palimpsest of unheard sound, style upon style, an undercurrent of drums, a forlorn wail, garlands made of tissue-paper flowers, cardboard devils, a revolving ball of mirrors, powdering the dancers with a snow of light".  The overall effect of these sensory descriptions is to put the readers there, at that moment, in that reality. 
Another aspect that I love is how Atwood incorporates symbolism in the following character names at the end of this text: 
"Alma. Janine. Dolores. Moira. June."
Alma translated to Spanish means soul; Janine comes from Jane, meaning God is gracious; Dolores translated to Spanish means pains; Moira in ancient greek means a part of or a lot of the whole; lastly, June conveys the idea of summer.  The effect behind these names full of meaning is to show convey the roles these characters will play in the dystopian novel.  
In addition to this aspect, there is another powerful structural feature.  A period is placed after each name. The effect here is a quiet pause in between each spoken name.  
One last structural feature that's noticed in her writing is how Atwood combines two words connected by a short dash and converts them into adjectives. This can be seen in, "felt-skirted," "chain-link," and "lip-read."  The effect: to create short, direct descriptions of something.

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