Handmaids
Fertile women bound by red robes and state decree to serve the regime.
Handmaids are fertile women coerced into reproductive servitude within the totalitarian theocracy of Gilead. Following a catastrophic decline in fertility rates, the regime designates these women as state property, stripping them of their names and identities to assign them to households where they must bear children for the ruling elite. Dressed in distinctive crimson robes with white winged bonnets, they serve as living symbols of the government's desperation and control over female bodies.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Reproductive Servants
- Attire
- Red Robes and White Wings
- Affiliation
- Republic of Gilead
- Selection criteria
- Proven Fertility
- Training site
- Rachel and Leah Center
- Social rank
- Below Wives, Above Marthas
Lore & Background
Life within a Commander's household is governed by strict ritual. Handmaids are forbidden from speaking freely or forming bonds outside of sanctioned interactions, such as walking in pairs to shops under surveillance. Each month, they participate in the Ceremony, a forced breeding ritual presided over by the Wife and the Commander. While physically protected from harm due to their womb's value, they live in constant fear of punishment, exile to the Colonies, or execution for perceived infractions against Gilead's laws.
Reader's Guide
Within Gilead's rigid caste system, Handmaids occupy a paradoxical position of high value yet low freedom. Selected for their proven fertility during the initial purges, they are assigned to households where infertility plagues the ruling elite. Their primary goal is singular: conceive children through the monthly Ceremony ritual sanctioned by state law and religious doctrine. They rank below Wives in domestic authority but above Marthas regarding state protection of their wombs.
Operationally, Handmaids function under constant surveillance. They travel in pairs for shopping duties, forbidden from speaking to one another during transit or interacting with men outside their assigned Commander's home. Their movements are tracked by Aunts during training at the Red Center and later monitored by Eyes within society. Communication is strictly limited to prevent organization.
Despite their oppression, Handmaids form the backbone of Gilead's resistance network known as Mayday. By smuggling messages and aiding escapes, they undermine the regime from within. Key figures like Offred demonstrate how this group impacts the broader conflict, turning reproductive tools into symbols of rebellion against theocratic control. Their collective suffering fuels the underground movement seeking to dismantle the Republic.
Did You Know?
- Handmaids adopt new names prefixed with 'Of' followed by their Commander's surname.
- Their white winged bonnets are designed to limit peripheral vision and enforce submission.
- Contrary to some claims, Handmaids are never permitted to carry firearms under any circumstances.
- The Red Center was originally a school before being repurposed for training Handmaids.
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Elsewhere in The Handmaid
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