“We're saving them. We are doing God's work.”— Serena Joy approves homicide for a higher purpose[1]
The President's Day Massacre was a large-scale terrorist attack orchestrated by the Sons of Jacob and marks the earliest stage of Gilead's founding. The attack is shown to have occurred in both the TV series and the original novel, though it is only referred to by this name in the latter[2].
Depiction in the book[]
The attack[]
Taking place in Washington, DC in September of 2014, the attack targeted the highest echelons of the US government. Specifically, the attackers succeeded in bombing the White House and firing on the US Capitol building, resulting in the deaths of the (unnamed) US President and most of the US Congress. Plans for a similar attack on the US Supreme Court are mentioned by Fred Waterford and Serena Joy in a conversation that takes place in the attack's planning stages[1], though the specifics of that attack have yet to be clarified on-screen.
Aftermath[]
Following the massacre, the Sons of Jacob seized control of the American government and armed forces through unspecified means, declaring martial law, suspending the US Constitution and gradually reshaping American society into the "utopia" of Gilead. According to the original book, the Sons of Jacob were able to blame the attack on Islamic terrorists, a detail which has not yet been explicitly mentioned in the TV series.[3]
The country, as described in the novel ("a suspended state of animation"), is said to not have a government (though whatever is left will continue to function); martial law in effect; and with much suspense and little details regarding the attacks. There, terrorists were blamed but their identity isn't specified at the time.[3]
In the TV Series: Later after the Provisional Government splits. The faction of the Provisional Government that later becomes the legitimate US Government based in Anchorage would blame the Sons of Jacob and the Civil Servants members of that group as being behind the massacre.
Depictions in the TV series[]
The attack[]
In the television series, a still of a newspaper prop from the second season reveals that the attacks took place in September 2014 in Washington, D.C. The date of the publication is listed as September 15, 2014; this means that the attacks took place on September 14 or in the days before. Coincidentally, this date is very close to the 9/11 attacks in 2001 carried out by Al-Qaeda militants. It also contrasts with the date of the real President's Day holiday, which occurs on the third Monday of February.
The still image also documents the immediate shock and reaction by the remaining United States government and citizens. The president's death was reported to be the result of fatal gunshot wounds to both the chest and shoulder. He was pronounced dead at Georgetown University Hospital, indicating that it wasn't the bombing of the White House that killed him. Additionally, it is revealed that it wasn't just elected officials who were attacked, but also ordinary citizens. The headline calls the attack "America's bloodiest day," implying a death toll exceeding that of the 9/11 attacks, which further suggests that the great majority of the victims were civilians.
Aftermath[]
After the attack the Government was put under martial law. Subsequently, all non-essential businesses were required to close, devastating the already dying economy of the USA. People belonging to many religious denominations, as well as atheists, were reported to be joining condolence gatherings around the country for prayer and comfort.
Ironically, the Sons of Jacob, who orchestrated the attacks, are said to have raised millions of dollars with the intention of donating the said amount to the families of the individuals that they covertly massacred while also calling for "empathy and unity".[4]
A mandatory prayer was apparently instituted shortly after the crisis,[4] suggesting that the Sons of Jacob had already heavily infiltrated and/or influenced the government at this point.
Notes[]
While not outright stated, the show alludes to the blamed culprits of the Massacre to be Islamic fundamentalists as Offred mentions in the book. June, when confronted over the increasingly dire situation of the country states that martial law was needed to stop "terrorists", a word often associated with Muslims/Islamic groups. It is also mentioned in the Boston Globe that the attacks took place in mid-September, quite close to, or around the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The rise of ISIS was also concurrent in 2014, and due to real world fears of ISIS and Islamic extremism, it would've been easy for the SOJ to blame Muslims, especially ISIS extremists.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Episode 1.6, "A Woman's Place"
- ↑ The Handmaid's Tale (Novel), Epilogue, "Historical Notes on The Handmaid's Tale"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Handmaid's Tale (Novel), section 28
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 see Boston Globe Front Page