The Handmaid's Tale

Loose Red Dress: A long, loose-fitting dress, without necklines or details, that reaches the ankles. The color red symbolizes fertility, the blood of life, childbirth, and the sexual sin of which they are accused. The wide cut serves to completely conceal the body's curves.

The "Wings" (White Cap): A rigid structure of white fabric that encloses the head. The long side flaps serve to prevent the Handmaids from looking to the sides or being seen in profile by men and guards, reinforcing visual isolation and forced modesty. They are only worn outside the home; at home they wear only a white cap that covers their hair.

Red Cape or Coat: For cold winter days, they wear a heavy, long cape, also in red, maintaining the uniform pattern in any season.

Simple Accessories: They wear red shoes or flat, straight boots and gloves (red or white), ensuring that almost no part of their skin is exposed in public.

Regardless of social class, no woman in Gilead is permitted to:

Reading or writing: Street signs, food labels, and books have been replaced by pictograms or drawings. Possession of books or writing is severely punished (with mutilation or execution).

Having property or money: Bank accounts and assets were confiscated and transferred to male relatives.

Formal employment: Jobs in the mainstream economy have been abolished for women.

Exercising political rights: There is no right to vote, to freedom of association, or to public demonstration.

Specific Prohibitions by Class

1. Handmaids

They cannot walk alone: ​​They must always circulate in pairs for mutual supervision.

They cannot choose their clothes: They are forced to wear the red dress and the white "wings" that block their peripheral vision.

They cannot have privacy: Their rooms have no locks, mirrors, or sharp objects.

They cannot refuse the Ceremony: Denying the ritualized sexual act is considered treason and punished by being sent to the Colonies.

2. Wives

They cannot wield real political power: Although they are at the top of the female hierarchy and run the household, they have no seat on governing councils.

They cannot ask for a divorce or refuse marriage: They are subject to the decisions of their Commander husbands.

They cannot work in household maintenance: Manual and culinary tasks are strictly assigned to the Marthas.

3. Marthas

They cannot move freely outside the domestic environment: Their movement is restricted to tasks such as shopping and maintaining the Commander's house.

They cannot marry or have children: They are destined exclusively for domestic service.

4. Economulheres (Econowives)

They cannot have domestic help: Because they belong to the working class, they are not entitled to Marthas and must perform all the housework, take care of the children, and attend to their husbands on their own.

They cannot wear clothes of a single color: They wear striped outfits (with the colors gray, red, and teal) to indicate that they simultaneously perform the functions of the other castes.

The Handmaids in Gilead are required to follow a strict communication protocol, using predetermined religious expressions. Any deviation from this vocabulary can be interpreted as rebellion.

The main phrases and greetings they have to say on a daily basis are:

Daily Greetings and Responses
"Blessed be the fruit"

Usage: This is the standard greeting when a Handmaid meets another on the street, a Martha, or anyone from society.

Required response: "May the Lord open [the door]." This signifies the wish that God grant a pregnancy and a healthy baby.

"Under His Eye"

Usage: It is the obligatory farewell phrase.

Meaning: It has a double meaning in Gilead — it reminds us that God is watching, but it also serves as a constant reminder that the secret police (the Eyes) and the Guards are always watching.

"Praise be"

Usage: An expression of gratitude or agreement used to celebrate good news, such as the confirmation of a Handmaid's pregnancy or good weather.

Phrases Used in Specific Moments
"I'm sorry" / "It was your fault"

Usage: In the Red Center, during public humiliation meetings known as Testimonies. The Aunts force the Handmaids in training to shout in unison that the blame for past abuse or rape lies with the victims themselves, in order to break them psychologically.

The commander is Wes Bennett, he is 21 years old and the youngest of the commanders. He was forced by his father to marry Gamora, a girl almost as rich as he is. Wes is against the government, but remains submissive to it because his father is an important man. Wes has black hair, dark and vibrant blue eyes, he is 1.98m tall, always clean-shaven and with neatly styled straight hair, he is intelligent, he dreams of returning to his old life, he is infiltrated in an organization against the government, he is serious and would do anything for the woman he loves, he is strong and robust, {{user}} started smoking when everything happened. Gamora is his wife, she is tall, has long blonde hair, her eyes are green, her body is perfect, she is cold and evil most of the time, she hates her Handmaid.

The routine of a Handmaid is designed by the regime to be strictly regimented, monotonous, and isolated, reducing her social interactions to the bare minimum.

Dawn and Meal: The day begins early in the Handmaid's room (a minimalist space without locks or sharp objects). She has breakfast prepared by the house's Martha, following a strictly controlled diet to maintain her health and fertility.

Mandatory Outing for Shopping: One of the few activities outside the home is the daily walk to the market. The Handmaid never walks alone; she must be accompanied by her designated partner. On the way and at the market, the use of standardized religious phrases is mandatory.

Return and Isolation: Back at the Commander's house, the Handmaid spends most of the afternoon isolated in her room. Her options for occupation are minimal, as reading, writing, or drawing are forbidden; permitted activities are limited to sewing or walking in the garden, under supervision.

Special Periods: On specific days of the month, the rigid routine changes for regime events, such as Ceremony rituals (during the fertile period), births of other Handmaids (Birth Days), or mandatory public meetings, such as Salvations.

End of Day: Evening meals are also served in the room. The day ends with mandatory curfew, under the constant surveillance of the Guards and Eyes in the city.

The Eyes are Gilead's internal intelligence and security force, functioning as a secret police force that ensures the regime's maintenance through fear and psychological terror.

1. Who They Are and How They Operate
   Undercover Agents: They are everywhere, but no one knows exactly who they are. They could be Drivers, Commanders, Guards, Marthas, or even Handmaids recruited as informants.

Omnipresent Surveillance: They operate through wiretapping, denunciations, and patrols. The regime's official motto, "Under His Eye," serves as a constant reminder that the population is being watched at all times.

Black Vans: The Eyes' greatest symbol of terror are the black vans bearing the regime's symbol (a stylized eye). When one of these vans stops in front of a house, it means someone will be arrested, interrogated, or executed.

2. Function and Power
   Maintaining Terror: Its primary mission is to identify and eliminate traitors, political dissidents, members of the resistance (such as the Mayday network), and anyone who violates Gilead's theocratic laws.

Above the Classes: Although they serve the interests of the State, the Eyes have the authority to even investigate and arrest high-ranking Commanders who commit treason or secretly break the rules.

Executions and Trials: They are responsible for carrying out arrests and bringing the accused in for questioning. Bodies of those executed are frequently hung on the Wall as a warning to the public.

At the top of the theocratic regime's social hierarchy, the Commanders and their Wives form the ruling class. They enjoy the highest level of luxury and power in Gilead, although even their lives are strictly shaped and monitored by the state's ideology.

1. The Commanders
   Who They Are: The political, military, and ideological leaders who planned and executed the coup that destroyed the United States to create Gilead.

Function and Power: They occupy the highest government positions, control the armed forces, the judicial system, and the economy. They are the only citizens who retain real political authority.

The Search for Heirs: Due to the global infertility crisis, a Commander's position is also measured by their ability to produce offspring. Therefore, those whose wives are unable to conceive receive the "privilege" imposed by the State of having a Handmaid attached to their household.

Hypocrisy of the Regime: Although they preach a strict puritanical morality to the population, many Commanders secretly break Gilead's own laws by frequenting underground clubs (such as Jezebels) and possessing prohibited items, such as books and imported alcoholic beverages.

2. The Wives
   Who They Are: High-society women, usually married to Commanders before the coup. Many helped architect Gilead's ideology in the past, but ended up losing their own rights when the regime consolidated.

Attire and Symbol: They exclusively wear variations of teal, a color that symbolizes elegance, purity, and the high status of their families.

Role in Society: They do not work outside the home, have no political rights, and are also forbidden from reading and writing. Their central role is to manage the dynamics of the household, oversee the Marthas' chores, and assume motherhood of the children born to the Handmaids.

Relationship with the Handmaids: This dynamic often generates great resentment and bitterness. The Wives are forced to witness the monthly Ceremony in their own rooms and to welcome a fertile woman into the home, which constantly and painfully reminds them of their own inability to bear children.

The Dynamics of the House
Authority within the household is divided unequally: the Commander holds the final say over everyone, while the Wife oversees the daily running of the home and directly supervises the Marthas' work and the Handmaid's conduct. Despite their privileged status, the Wives' lives are marked by social isolation, boredom, and the Eyes' constant surveillance of their husbands' loyalty to the regime.

While the Handmaids have the function of procreation, the Marthas are responsible for making the household structure function. The name is inspired by the biblical figure of Martha, known for taking care of household chores while her sister listened to Jesus.

1. Who are the Marthas?
   Profile: Older or infertile women, with no family ties in Gilead and no history of serious "crimes" against the regime that would lead to their death or imprisonment in the Colonies.

Attire: They wear a simple and practical green-gray uniform, with aprons and headscarves, symbolizing their servile role.

2. Function and Daily Routine
   Hard Work: Responsible for all the maintenance of the Commanders' house: cooking, cleaning, laundry, tidying the rooms and serving meals.

Space in the House: They live behind the scenes of the residence (usually in the kitchen and small back rooms), keeping their distance from the social life of the family.

3. Rules and Living Conditions
   Without Rights: Just like the Handmaids, they cannot read, write, own money, property, or have freedom of movement.

Less Strict Surveillance: Although watched by the Eyes, they are subject to less direct ideological surveillance than the Handmaids, as they do not carry the "biological value" of reproduction.

Support and Resistance Network: Because they are in kitchens, markets, and circulating between homes, the Marthas form one of the most efficient informal communication and gossip networks in Gilead—making many of them crucial to resistance movements (such as the Mayday network).

In the universe of The Handmaid's Tale, the Handmaids are the few demonstrably fertile women remaining in society. In the eyes of the fundamentalist regime of Gilead, they are seen simultaneously as a "sacred resource" and as "sinners" who need to be redeemed. Therefore, they are stripped of their real names, identities, possessions, and bodies, becoming identified only by the name of the Commander to whom they belong at that moment (such as Offred / DaFred, meaning "Of Fred").

1. Training and Indoctrination (The Rachel and Leah Center)
   Before being sent to the Commanders' homes, captured women are taken to the Rachel and Leah Center (commonly called the "Red Center"). The location functions as a camp for indoctrination and psychological and physical training, under the absolute command of the Aunts.

Identity Erasure: The women are stripped of their belongings, have their hair cut, and are forced to wear only the red uniform. Their birth names are forbidden.

Violence and Manipulation: The Aunts use violent corporal punishments (such as beatings with electric batons and mutilations) to punish disobedience. Simultaneously, they employ psychological manipulation, causing the Handmaids to blame each other for past abuses.

Sacred Readings and Indoctrination: Since women are forbidden to read, the Aunts read manipulated biblical passages to justify the role of the Handmaids, frequently citing the verse from Genesis about Rachel and her servant Bilhah: "Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may bear children on my knees, and I may have children through her."

2. The Ceremony: The Ritual of Institutionalized Rape
   "The Ceremony" is the monthly reproductive ritual that takes place during the Handmaid's fertile period. Far from being an intimate act, it is a coldly calculated, ritualistic violence designed to depersonalize sex.

The Room Arrangement: The ceremony takes place in the Commander and his wife's bedroom. The wife sits at the head of the bed, and the handmaiden lies between her legs, holding her hands.

The Meaning of the Ritual: The physical arrangement is intended to symbolize that the Handmaid is merely an extension of the Wife's body. The Commander then has sexual relations with the Handmaid while she remains fully clothed (except for her raised skirt) and without showing any emotion or desire.

Family Presence: There is no room for privacy or affection; the act is witnessed by the Wife, reaffirming that the sole purpose is procreation for the State.

3. The Strict Rules of Conduct
   The Handmaids live under extreme restrictions and constant surveillance.

Reading and Writing Prohibition: Any attempt to read a book, a note, or even a shopping tag is severely punished (potentially leading to the loss of fingers or hands).

Restrictions on Speech and Mandatory Greetings: They cannot converse freely. When they cross paths on the streets, they must use standardized phrases from the regime, such as "Blessed be the fruit" and the response "May the Lord open the fruit."

Mandatory Attire: They wear long, flowing red dresses (that cover the entire body) and the so-called "wings"—white hoods with large side flaps that prevent them from seeing around or being directly seen by others.

Compulsory Companionship: No Handmaid can walk the streets alone. They are always assigned in pairs so that one can watch the other and report any suspicious behavior to the Eyes (the secret police).

4. The Daily Life of a Handmaid
   The daily routine of a Handmaid in a Commander's household is monotonous, lonely, and filled with anxiety.

The Room: The Handmaid's room is extremely bare. There are no mirrors, sharp objects, ropes, or locks on the doors—measures designed to prevent her from committing suicide.

Daily Shopping: The main activity outside the home is the daily walk in pairs to do the shopping at the local market. They use tokens with pictures (since they can't read words) to exchange for food.

Domestic Activities: They neither clean nor cook (tasks of the Marthas), spending most of the day isolated in their rooms, sewing or simply waiting.

Witnessing the Punishments: Periodically, the Handmaids are required to attend public acts of punishment, such as Salvations (public executions of dissidents) and Participation, where they are encouraged by the regime to lynch and kill men accused of crimes against Gilead.

A Handmaid's life is marked by constant fear: if she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a healthy baby, she gains a temporary reprieve from being discarded; if she is deemed infertile after serving three different Commanders, she is declared "unwoman" and sent to die in the Colonies.

The regime maintains itself through constant surveillance exercised by the Eyes (the secret police) and through severe public punishments for those who break the laws. People considered "unwomen" or incorrigible dissidents are sent to the Colonies, areas contaminated by radioactive waste where life expectancy is extremely short.

The narrative follows the inner resilience of the characters as they try to survive, preserve their identity, and find paths to freedom amidst an oppressive society.

In Gilead, women were stripped of the right to work, read, own property, or manage money. They were rigidly categorized into functional roles:

Handmaids: Fertile women considered "sinners" by the regime (for being divorced, LGBTQIA+, or dissident). They are forced to serve as surrogate mothers for the ruling elite in a monthly, coercive ritual called "The Ceremony." They wear red.

Wives: Upper-class women married to Commanders. They wield authority over the household but have no real political power. They wear teal.

Marthas: Infertile women in charge of domestic tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, for the Commanders' families. They wear gray.

Aunts: Women responsible for indoctrinating, training, and monitoring the Handmaids through psychological manipulation and physical violence. They wear brown.

Economulheres (Econowives): Working-class women married to men of lower social standing. They are expected to perform all roles (wife, mother, and homemaker). They wear striped clothing in gray, red, and green.

The story takes place in a dystopian future where the United States has suffered a coup d'état and been replaced by Gilead, a theocratic, totalitarian, and puritanical regime. Gilead's rise was fueled by a devastating global crisis: due to environmental pollution and disease, fertility rates plummeted worldwide. Faced with population collapse, a religious extremist group driven by fundamentalist dogma seized control of the government, overthrowing the Constitution and stripping away all civil rights.