Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale presents a dystopian, not-so-distant future, that is almost as insightful as it is terrifying. The social structures of the Republic of Gilead place a select few Commanders at the very top, with everyone else significantly below them in some capacity or another.
- Although June Osborne finally escaped Gilead, her journey throughout Canada with the Waterfords and navigating the world she used to be familiar with has demonstrated that Gilead stays with people long after they’ve left it. As much as the citizens of Gilead want to be anywhere but there, it’s obvious that the words of zealots and true believers like Serena or Aunt Lydia echo in people’s minds for years afterward.
As the show follows June’s life as a handmaid, the horrifying reality of the present that she is now forced to live in becomes apparent, through the actions of those above her. From Commander Waterford to his wife Serena, and Aunt Lydia who is responsible for disciplining the Handmaids, the stringent rules of Gilead are ever-present in the words of those in power.
“Better Never Means Better For Everyone.
It Always Means Worse For Some.”
- Fred Waterford
When talking with June, Commander Waterford - although not apologetic by any means - attempts to rationalize his actions. As one of the Sons Of Jacob, Commander Waterford was instrumental in the formation of Gilead, and takes this moment to inform her that they “only wanted to make the world better”.
The absurdity of the claim is lessened as Waterford admits that this has not meant better for everyone, a surprising acknowledgment considering Commander Waterford’s attitudes. In the eyes of the leaders of Gilead, the lives of the Republic’s female citizens are irrelevant when compared to the potential to reproduce, and as such the Sons of Jacob’s violence and injustices are forgiven.
“This May Not Be Ordinary To You Now…
…But After A Time It Will.This Will Become Ordinary.”
- Aunt Lydia
Aunt Lydia is one of the primary enforcers of the harsh rules of Gilead, and as such, spends a lot of time coaxing the girls into accepting their collective fate. Like most characters in the series, specifically those on the side of Gilead, Aunt Lydia is often found trying to rationalize the actions of Gilead to herself as well as to others.
In this instance, Aunt Lydia is suggesting that the situation in which the Handmaids now find themselves is not an extreme injustice, but simply something that the women must get used to. Aunt Lydia’s conformity says just as much about her own character as it does Gilead’s society.
“We Won’t Succeed Without Their Support. You Know That.”
- Fred
Fred said this to the other commanders when they were discussing the idea of handmaids as a public policy, and Fred suggests making the ceremony more palatable to the women because the idea can’t succeed without their support.
Fred is not normally a very insightful person, but his understanding of the situation here is horrifying and prescient. What makes his statement so poignant is simply that it’s true, that there are many Serena Joys in the world who will happily subjugate their gender and strip basic human rights from others if they still believe they’re in a position of power or valued in some way.
“God Whipped Up A Special Plague.
The Plague Of Infertility.”
It is often repeated throughout the series that Gilead was formed as a direct response to increasing infertility among women in the United States. As Gilead was allegedly founded in scripture, this phenomenon becomes referred to as a plague inflicted by God, brought about by the life choices of modern women.
This claim allows the Commanders to bury their actions in scripture, and as such, shield themselves from criticism. Referring to the increased infertility as a plague allows the Commanders to create a guise of reform, to rectify the acts of sinning that lead them to this stage.
“God Is Truly Merciful.
He Offers Redemption Even To The Most Perverse And Degenerate Among His Flock.”
In the eyes of Gilead, and the Sons of Jacob, many aspects of the modern way of life are now punishable by death. With the formation of the Republic, however, the fertile women - the handmaids - now have the chance to redeem themselves for their past actions.
This statement emphasizes one of the many glaring contradictions in Gilead’s laws - that those who engage in outlawed behavior may be forgiven, so long as they are valuable to the Republic. Female gender traitors for example can have their previous behaviors overlooked if they happen to be able to bear children and accept their roles as Handmaids.
“Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum.”
- Offred
As June points out early on in the series, although she is now “Offred,” there was an Offred before her. And as fate or happenstance would have it, the prior Offred’s little rebellious act of carving “don’t let the bastards grind you down” into her closet wall provided inspiration to June and became sort of an unofficial motto of the series.
But there’s also a shade of great tragedy to this statement, because the Offred who originated the saying wound up dying by suicide, and although the show hasn’t offered a great deal of insight as to exactly why, it seems safe to say that the oppression and torment of Gilead was simply too much to bear.
“Wives. Submit Yourselves To Your Own Husbands…
…As Unto The Lord.”
One of the pillars of life in the Republic of Gilead is the superiority of men, specifically the Commanders. The women of Gilead, even the wives of the Commanders, have become stripped of any independence and must simply follow their husbands.
Even the wives of the leading Commanders, like Serena Joy, must adjust to a life in which they are completely segregated according to their sex, albeit not to the same extent as the handmaids. As audiences come to learn, even Serena Waterford, who was instrumental in the formation of Gilead, is now completely subjected to her husband’s command.
“You’re Spoiled, You’re Privileged…
…And You’re Living In An Academic Bubble. All Of You!”
- Serena Joy Waterford
Serena is shown throughout the series in flashbacks which showcase her involvement in the formation of Gilead. Serena is presented as holding strong beliefs about the place of women and in the time before Gilead, she published a book on the subject titled ‘A Woman’s Place’.
While promoting her book, Serena often gave speeches in an attempt to enlighten audiences on the gravity of the falling fertility rates. Although Serena was highly educated and chose academic circles to spread her message, Serena completely disavows women’s involvement in the public space and preaches a form of domestic feminism.
“Did You Behave In A Way…
…That Might Have Invited His Attention?”
Although the horrors of Gilead seem limitless, the brutal mistreatment of Esther Keyes really drives home how nightmarish this country can be, even for supposedly high-status women. Esther became a wife when she was still a child, and since her husband couldn’t successfully impregnate her, he allowed her to be raped by countless men.
She is once again raped when she is introduced to Commander Putnam, and that seems to be the tipping point that drives her to a suicide attempt. And, while most wouldn’t expect Aunt Lydia to be sympathetic, the fact that she immediately asked Esther if she had done something to cause her own sexual assault after everything that Esther has already been through was mind-bogglingly cruel.
“It’s Not Rocket Science…
…All Remaining Fertile Women Should Be Collected And Impregnated. By Those Of Superior Status, Of Course.”
- Commander Guthrie
The Republic of Gilead is one very much founded in status, with the Commanders at the very top and everyone else below them, all the way down to the women in the Colonies. Through flashbacks, audiences are given insights into how some of the rules of Gilead came to be.
This concept of rounding up the fertile women is voiced by Commander Guthrie, in conversation with Commander Waterford and Commander Pryce, and effectively sums up the sentiments of the Republic. In this same conversation, Guthrie mentions how they will use the guise of scripture to make the acts more palatable to the wives of the Commanders.
“The Mouth Of A Woman Is A Deep Pit.
He That Falls Therein Will Suffer And Find The Misery Of All Men. All Of You.”
Credit where it’s due, while Fred Waterford and Gilead itself are both living nightmares, they’re nothing if not constantly on-brand.
The irony of creating a society where men have complete control over women and then blaming a woman for all the world’s problems and miseries does appear to be completely lost on Fred. However, this particular utterance aimed at June did become exceptionally ironic given that June ultimately gave him an object lesson in the kind of pain and suffering that she could serve to him.
“I Had Another Name But It Is Forbidden Now…
…So Many Things Are Forbidden Now.”
- June Osborne
Audiences are first introduced to June by the name Offred, who is so named as she is the handmaid of Commander Fred Waterford, and goes on to become Ofjoseph when she is assigned as Commander Joseph Lawrence’s Handmaid.
Offred’s real name, however, is June Osborne, something that is forbidden to even speak out loud, alongside any and all agency for the handmaids and women at large within the Republic of Gilead. June, however, shows her rebellious streak from the outset as she asserts her own identity in an internal monologue from the first episode.
“Remember Your Scripture; Blessed Are The Meek.”
Aunt Lydia, as is customary in Gilead, often quotes the Bible when scolding the handmaids, or when reminding them of their place. In this case, “blessed are the meek” is intended to remind the handmaids to quietly accept their newfound fate, that they shall be rewarded for their silence.
June, however, outright refutes this sentiment as she retorts “And blessed are those who suffer for the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven”. With this, June acknowledges that the quote in its entirety speaks to the ultimate rising up of the meek.
“Girls, there is more than one kind of freedom.
There is freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from.”
While Aunt Lydia seems to be having a change of heart as of late, one of the aspects of her characterization that actually made her scarier than nearly everyone else is that unlike most people in positions of power in Gilead, she appeared to be a true believer.
Few things could sum up her zealotry and belief in the system more than this line. While Aunt Lydia is in the process of torturing the handmaids once again, she explains to them how their subjugation and horrific treatment is actually Gilead “freeing” them from all choice and power in their own lives.
“There’s No Such Thing As A Sterile Man Anymore.
There’s Only Women Who Are Fruitful And Women Who Are Barren.”
Through following June and her many challenges throughout the series, the place of women in Gilead is made unquestionably clear, regardless of their status. Gilead has been founded on the concept of preserving fertility, however, the possible infertility of men has never come into play.
In the dystopian future society of Gilead, women have been reduced to those who are fertile, and those who are not. And unfortunately for many of the women in the totalitarian religious regime, those who are sinful but fertile are given the “privilege” of becoming a handmaid.
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