June Osborne

June Osborne, formerly referred to by her patronym Offred and later Ofjoseph, is the protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale. She is a woman in her 30s who was forced to serve as a Handmaid in the early years of Gilead, due to the fact she is still capable of bearing children. She is the wife of Luke Bankole and the mother of a young daughter, Hannah. She is also the mother of Nichole who she had with Nick in Gilead. She is portrayed by Elisabeth Moss.

June has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is around 5 feet 3 inches and has a medium build. In the old world, she wore modern trendy clothing. In Gilead, she always wears the red robes and white head coverings that all Handmaids wear.

June is a little different from her book's counterpart. She is more outspoken and rebellious. She is beloved by friends and family and at first she has a sweet heart, but gradually becomes coldly vengeful. She has a special relationship and temperament with both of her children, Hannah and Nichole. She treats them with love, care and kindness.

With the Waterfords and in Gilead, June is forced to be a lot more direct, ruthless, brave, and protective. She protects the women and people around her when she can and she tries to stick up for herself and others, especially with the Waterfords and Aunt Lydia.

Past life June was born to Dr Holly Maddox where Dr Maddox described herself as an atheist. Her father was described as a Lapsed Catholic and an alcoholic who died while June was in high school

Early years In her childhood, June's mom takes her to a "Take Back The Night" rally. The women protesting are tossing paper slips with the names of their rapists on these slips into fires set in trash cans.[2].

Before Gilead June goes to her mom's house to pick up a mixer. She tells her group of friends what she does for a living. Everyone seems to be impressed but her mom[2].

Moira Strand, her best friend, and June go to college together. They spend their spare time sunbathing.[3]

The first time she meets Luke, he is still married to another woman. They continue meeting up for innocent lunches, where she learns that Luke hasn't told his wife about them. After an affair with June he leaves his first wife for her.[4]

Annie, Luke’s first wife, confronts June after a yoga class. She accuses her of sabotaging a vow made before God. June is clearly affected by the encounter. Luke brings June back to herself, saying "she doesn’t matter" because they’re "going to get married" and he's going to "make her happy."[5]. June's mom asks her if she likes the job at the publishing place. She says she does. Her mom tells her that she sacrificed for her and that she's settling. She asks about Luke and tells June that she doesn't think she should marry him. Her mom tells her that she thinks its a mistake[2].

In expectation of their daughter’s birth, Luke drives June to the hospital amidst crowds of people protesting the recent sharp decline in birthrates. She is greatly relieved to learn that Hannah is a healthy baby. Shortly after her birth, June wakes up to find Hannah is gone. She initially assumes she’s been taken for a blood test, until sirens begin blaring throughout the hospital. Luke urges June to stay where she is whilst he goes to investigate. June follows Luke regardless and

Hannah’s christening ceremony is attended by Luke, godmother Moira and grandmother Holly, who warns June against using religion to make decisions.[7]

Annie runs into Luke, June, and baby Hannah at a coffee store. She and June make eye contact, and then Annie slips away.

June asks Luke to sign a form so that she can pick up her birth control prescription. As she's leaving, she suggests that she doesn't pick it up and surprisingly, Luke agrees. They kiss before June leaves to take Hannah to school.

June is called away from work to go pick up Hannah, who was running a fever, from the hospital. There she is asked several questions about her capacity as a parent. June then takes Hannah home from the hospital. Luke is waiting for them and they learn that there was an act of terrorism at the National Capitol. There was also an explosion at the White House and that martial law was declared. ("June")

In a retrospect from the present, Offred blames herself (and the former society around her) for having been "asleep" at that time, which was "how we let it happen": "When they slaughtered Congress, we didn't wake up. When they blamed terrorists and suspended the Constitution, we didn't wake up then either. They said it would be temporary. Nothing changes instantaneously. In a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you knew it."[8]

June and Moira learn that the government has frozen all women's bank accounts and suspended use of their credit cards. June and all the other women in her office are "let go" from their jobs, due to the new law stating women are no longer allowed to work or hold property. June and Moira take part in a protest against the new laws, only for a line of Guardians to mercilessly open fire against the crowds using machine guns. The protesters flee, with June holding Moira's hand and narrowly escaping by hiding in a shop.[8]

June, Luke and Hannah try to escape to Canada and hide in the trunk of their car while a man called Mr. Whitford drives them to a secluded cabin near the border. Mr. Whitford tells them he still needs to grab them Canadian passports, because U.S. passports "don't mean shit no more". Before he leaves, Mr. Whitford teaches Luke how to shoot a gun, which he is clearly uneasy about.[9]

After learning that Whitford has been killed, they try to reach the Canadian border on their own, but their car is spotted by a patrol. They crash at the side of the road, and Luke tells June to take Hannah and run from the Guardians pursuing them [9]. June runs through the woods with Hannah, pausing when she hears gunshots. She tries to hide with Hannah behind a rock, but they are eventually caught. Hannah is torn away from June, who tries to struggle free, only to be knocked unconscious. She wakes up as she is being transported in a van.[3]

June and various other women are brought in the Red Center, where their ears are forcibly tagged[10]. Aunt Lydia then indoctrinates them into their handmaid roles, telling them about declining birth rates and that they are "special", serving a Biblical purpose. June and Moira are reunited.[3]

Janine is forced to 'confess' her sins and tell the story of her gang-rape. Aunt Lydia explains that Janine brought the rape upon herself and the other Handmaids are made to shame Janine. As June hesitates, she is slapped by "Aunt Margaret"[3].

Aunt Lydia shows them a slideshow of all the horrible things that have happened. One of the pictures is of June's mother in the Colonies. Later, in bed, Moira asks June how she thinks they got her Mom. She doesn't know but that she told her that it wasn't safe what she was doing. Moira tells her that she was right but June says so was she. That she knew this would happen. June says that she waited before but she swore she wouldn't do that again[2].

June attempts to escape with Moira; they take Aunt Elizabeth captive and Moira takes her clothes and pass to disguise herself as an Aunt. They make it to the train station, but June draws the attention of a Guardian who becomes suspicious. Seeing Moira has a chance to escape on the train that has just arrived, June silently gives her her blessing and Moira flees, whilst June is taken back to the Red Center.[11] Aunt Lydia has June tied down whilst Aunt Elizabeth whips the soles of her feet as punishment. June's fellow Handmaids later secretly rally around her, giving her scraps of food they've saved from meals[11].

June eventually completes her training at the Red Center. She is assigned to an unknown couple, though fails to produce a child before she is reassigned to the Waterfords after the suicide of their previous handmai