Handmaid

“

The human race is at risk. All remaining fertile women should be collected and impregnated.

”

— Commander Guthrie justifies slavery and sexual exploitation by a "state of emergency"

Handmaid
Handmaids in the graphic novel.
Affiliation	Republic of Gilead
Gender	Female
Description	Social class

Handmaids are, perhaps the most important - but also the most oppressed, social class of women in Gilead, as they are tasked with breeding and thus supplying Gilead with more children. Fertile women who in some way break the laws of Gilead end up as Handmaids or worked to death in the Colonies if they either fail or refuse to conceive children. They are assigned to the homes of Commanders, and sometimes highly skilled professionals (e.g. dentists) where their task is get pregnant by the men, so as to provide them and their infertile wives with a child. The first novel's main protagonist, Offred, is a Handmaid, as are a few of the secondary characters.

Attire

Handmaids wear red which is the color of blood and therefore, life. They wear full-skirted, ankle length red dresses, that cover their figures. The dresses are full sleeved, and they wear flat-heeled, red shoes "to save the spine". When they go outside, they must wear red gloves, and can wear red shawls or cloaks if it is cold or raining outside. Even their umbrellas are red. The only item of clothing they wear that is not red are a pair of white colored "wings", which they wear on their heads to frame and hide their faces. The "wings" give the Handmaids next to no peripheral vision; they can only see what is directly in front of them. The idea is to "prevent us seeing, but also from being seen". In the TV series, if a member of the household the Handmaid is assigned to dies, she wears black wings instead of white and a black cloak over her red dress for mourning purposes.

These women also carry a specific mark or accessory that identifies them as Handmaids: in the novel, their ankles are marked with tattoos; in the film, bar-coded bracelets are permanently attached to their wrists; in the TV series, red tags with serial identifiers are forcibly and painfully affixed to their ears.

Origins

The concept of Handmaids comes from the Biblical story of Rachel and her husband Jacob, in the Biblical book of Genesis. In the story, Rachel was unable to conceive children, so she suggested that Jacob impregnate Rachel's handmaid Bilhah and thus get children that way.

This is also a reference to Sarai (later God changed her name to Sarah) who instructed Abram (later God changed his name to Abraham) to impregnate her handmaid Hagar, so that God's promises to make Abram's descendants as numerous as sand in desert could be fulfilled. Hagar did become pregnant but her treatment by Sarai was so bad she ran away to the desert with her son Ishmael. As a handmaid at that time, being a handmaid was the lowest position in the class system. So being a handmaid left Hagar to be mistreated by both Abram and Sarai even when she was pregnant. Sarai probably mistreated her mostly because Hagar was pregnant and she wasn't. For Hagar to flee to the desert indicates the abuse was extreme. This situation, from Genesis 13-16, also foreshadows the entire storyline of the culture of the class system which also existed in Gilead.

Selection and Classification

Gilead forces fertile women into becoming Handmaids on the basis of both gender-based and religious-based crimes. June, for instance, relates that she was forced to become a handmaid because Gilead outlawed divorce and invalidated any marriages in which one of the partners was divorced; she was thus deemed to be an adulteress because her husband, Luke, divorced his first wife to marry her. On the other hand, Emily mentions in "Offred" that she "got caught at the airport", with her flashbacks in "Unwomen" suggesting that her (later deemed illegal) marriage to a woman was the reason she was forced to become a Handmaid. In "Baggage", the Econowife Heather tells June that fertile Econowives are threatened with being forced to become Handmaids if they break Gilead's laws.

Handmaid Prospects

 See also: The Rachel and Leah Center

Handmaids are 'trained' in their role as Handmaid prospects in the Rachel and Leah Center, before being sent out on their first assignment. The Handmaids among each other use the term 'Red Center'.

Role in society

A group of Handmaids from the TV series

In Gilead, Handmaids are fertile women, who are supposed to be impregnated by Commanders or Angels whose Wives are infertile, thus providing them with children. Only high ranking men - such as Commanders - are allowed to have a Handmaid assigned to them. Handmaids are not supposed to have identities; they are forbidden to use their real names and are given new names whenever they are assigned to a new Commander. Their name consists of the word 'of', coupled with the first name of their Commander; for example 'of-Fred' = Offred, 'of-Glen' = Ofglen, 'of-George' = Ofgeorge, etc.

Scene from "A Woman's Place":
The beauty of a Handmaid's appearance is ...

The novel does not mention the process and criteria for matching Handmaids and Commanders, although in the TV series, it is revealed that a household can refuse an undesirable Handmaid and that the women who had produced healthy babies are coveted items, and couples may resort to small bribery of Aunts to ensure the presence of this particular Handmaid at their household in the future.

... only skin-deep, the truth behind is brutal

Handmaids have three chances to get pregnant in three different households during two year assignments. If, after the third time, they are not able to produce a living, healthy baby, they will be sent off to the Colonies to face certain death. Handmaids that become infertile or reach a certain age without having ever conceived are also sent to the Colonies, as are women who refuse to become Handmaids.

Handmaids exchanging their real names

Handmaids usually live with the couple they are assigned to, in a spare room, though they occasionally go to sleep at the Red Center, where they live when they have not been assigned to anyone. They are sometimes required to help around the house, taking part in prayer time, shopping and helping to cook, but the rest of the time, they mostly stick to their rooms, having little else to do. They are required to take a walk once a day, to keep their abdominal muscles functioning. Handmaids are not allowed to be alone except when they bathe, use the bathroom, or sleep. When they go out in public, they are always accompanied by another Handmaid, and occasionally a Guardian, to protect pregnant Handmaids.

If a Handmaid conceives, then she is venerated (and envied) by many other women. She no longer has to take the walk or do chores; it is in fact considered risky for pregnant Handmaids to be out in public, in case something happens to the baby, or she is attacked by jealous women. Once a Handmaid gives birth, provided the baby is healthy, then it will immediately be given to the Wife of the Commander they are assigned to, who receives all the credit for the Handmaid's hard work. The Handmaid is generally ignored or overlooked, although she may be comforted or congratulated by her fellow Handmaids. Handmaids are allowed to stay with their babies for a few weeks, breastfeeding them, but after they are weaned, the Handmaids are forced to leave the household and are assigned to a new Commander. In the TV series, it is revealed that a Wife may be opposed to the presence of the Handmaid at the household after the baby is born; in that case, the Handmaid will go back to the Red Center and resort to a breast pumping machine to extract the needed milk. The babies they give birth to are not regarded as 'theirs' but rather their Commander's and his Wife's. It is likely that they never see their children again. The only comfort is that Handmaids who have successfully given birth to healthy children will never be declared Unwomen nor sent to the Colonies (unless, of course, they break the laws of Gilead).

In the TV series, Handmaids that have successfully given birth to healthy babies are given honored status at a special Prayvaganza where the Commanders and their Wives to which the Handmaid is assigned dedicate themselves to raising the children as their own.

In the TV series, customs regarding Handmaids apparently vary among their allocation districts. In Washington, for example, the Handmaids pictured took a vow of silence, with their mouths have been forced shut by ring piercings. The vow of silence is supposedly voluntary and these Handmaids have put on the rings themselves. They conceal these metal rings by using mouth covers called "Veils".

Known Handmaids

Below is a list of 72 Handmaids that have been mentioned or portrayed in either the novel, the movie, or the TV series. Please note that the 31 Handmaids slain at the new Rachel and Leah Center have yet to be completely identified (some of their patronymic names were listed during the mass funeral and a few real names were mentioned by Rachel Tapping in a Canadian conference, meaning that some of the patronymic names listed below might correspond to some of the real names mentioned by Tapping). Characters that have yet to be seen after the bombing but have not been definitively identified as deceased will be listed as "unknown" until this scenario changes.

Patronymic name	Real name	History	Status	Appearances	Note
Ofandy	Unknown	Gives birth to a dead girl.	Alive; active	TV series
Ofben	Joanna Grant	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofcharles	Unknown	Executed during a Salvaging by hanging.	Deceased	Novel
Ofclarence	Unknown	Complications occured during labor, died during a caesarean section.	Deceased	TV series
Ofcolin	Unknown	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofduncan	Lindsay Hayes	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofedward	Unknown	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Oferic	Brianna	Ofsamuel's shopping partner. She escapes her posting after 86 children leave Gilead and lives as a Martha before being re-captured. She is killed by an oncoming train in an escape attempt.	Deceased	TV series
Offred (first)	Unknown	Completed suicide by hanging herself from the chandelier in her room.	Deceased	Novel Film TV series
Offred (second) Ofjoseph (fourth)	June Osborne (TV Series) Kate (film)	The main character of The Handmaid's Tale.	Alive; escaped (novels) Alive; fled (film) Alive; escaped (TV series)	Novel Film TV series
Ofgeorge	Unknown	Assigned to the Winslow house and has three rings hooked on her mouth.	Alive; active	TV series
Ofglen (first) Ofsteven Ofroy Ofjoseph (third)	Dr. Emily Malek Ph.D.	Offred's shopping partner; connected to Mayday.	Deceased (novel) Unknown (film) Alive; fled (TV series)	Novel Film TV series
Ofglen (second)	Lillie Fuller	Replaces the original Ofglen as Offred's shopping partner.	Alive; active (novel, film) Deceased (TV series)	Novel TV series
Ofhal	Patricia Frank	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofjohn (first)	Unknown	A damaged Handmaid hidden from the Mexican delegation; killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofjohn (second)	Unknown	A deceased Handmaid; thrown at a moving bus by her shopping partner.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofkyle	Crystal	Allocated to Commander Kyle and his second wife, Paula. She gives birth to a son, Mark, and dies in childbirth.	Deceased	Novels
Ofleo	Nora Ford	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Oflyle	Unknown	One of the damaged Handmaids hidden from the Mexican delegation; unseen after the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Ofmatthew	Natalie	Serves as a shopping partner of Ofjoseph. Her loyalty to Gilead causes violent tensions among the other Handmaids.	Deceased	TV series
Ofmyles	Unknown	Unseen after the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Unknown	TV series
Ofraymond	Unknown	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofrobert	Alma	Associated to Mayday in the TV series. She escapes her posting after 86 children leave Gilead and lives as a Martha before being re-captured. She is killed by an oncoming train in an escape attempt.	Deceased	Novel TV series
Ofryan	Mae Cohen	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Ofsamuel	Dolores	Oferic's shopping partner in the TV series.	Alive; active	Novel TV series
Ofthomas	Unknown	One of the damaged Handmaids hidden from the Mexican delegation; unseen after the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Oftim	Unknown	One of the damaged Handmaids hidden from the Mexican delegation; unseen after the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Oftucker Ofkyle (second)	Unknown	Acts as a wetnurse for Commander Kyle's son Mark.	Alive; active	Novels
Ofwarren Ofdaniel Ofhoward	Janine Lindo	A mentally unstable Handmaid. She escapes her posting after 86 children leave Gilead and lives as a Martha before being re-captured. She manages to escape Gilead again.	Alive; escaped	Novel Film TV series
Ofwayne	Unknown	Briefly mentioned as a possibly pregnant Handmaid.	Alive; active	Novel
Ofwyatt	Unknown	Imprisoned in the Rachel and Leah Center; pregnant when last seen.	Unknown	TV series
Ofzachary	Unknown	Unseen after the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Ofzev	Cheryl Gardini	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
None	Erin	Escaped to Canada before being assigned to a household.	Alive; defected	TV series
None	Moira Strand	One of the only Handmaids that managed to escape the Rachel and Leah Center before being assigned. Offred's best friend before Gilead.	Alive; reassigned as a Jezebel; later escaped	Novel Film TV series
Unknown	Adriana Hall	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Alice	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Alison	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Ashley	Records her story on a letter for Mayday after fleeing to Jezebel's.	Unknown; defected	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Aubrey	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Cara	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Casey	Gives birth to a Shredder, who dies shortly after.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Chloe Washington	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Deirdre	Whispers her name to other Handmaids at the market.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Erin	Not the same Erin that defected; whispers her name to other Handmaids at the market.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Gabby	Offred's friend from the Rachel and Leah Center; had a miscarriage.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Gabriela	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Greer Ladestro	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Heather	A former Econowife, Heather was made a Handmaid after her husband Omar was executed.	Alive	TV series
Unknown	Isabella Lopez	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Jada King	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Jennifer Briggs	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Jessica Jerry	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Joanna	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Julie	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	June	In the film, June is a different Handmaid from Offred. Executed during a Salvaging by hanging.	Deceased	Film
Unknown	Katie	Presumed, a pregnant unmarried woman from Lydia's legal office taken away to a "school" by armed men.	Unknown	Novels
Unknown	Kathleen	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Maria Corrente	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Maria Navarro	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Marilyn	Whispers her name to other Handmaids at the market.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Megan Young	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Odette Johnson	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Patricia Ruth	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Riley	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Robin Cook	Records her story on a letter for Mayday.	Unknown	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Sara	Whispers her name to other Handmaids at the market.	Deceased	TV series	She escapes her posting after 86 children leave Gilead and lives as a Martha before being re-captured. She is shot by a Guardian in an escape attempt.
Unknown	Sonya	A Handmaid to be assigned to the Hollbecks in the future.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Stephanie	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Susan	Whispers her name during the night at the Rachel and Leah Center.	Alive; active	Film	Unseen character
Unknown	Tiana Moore	One of the 31 Handmaids killed at the new Rachel and Leah Center attack.	Deceased	TV series	Unseen character
Unknown	Unknown	Assigned to Dr. Grove, she gives birth to an Unbaby without a brain.	Unknown	Novels	Unseen character
Unknown	Vivian	A Handmaid to be assigned to the Carvers in the future.	Alive; active	TV series	Unseen character