I meant to write something Sunday, but completely forgot so…..
Chapters 1-7 Discussion
I am feeling some major 1984 vibes here while also getting a deja vu of American Horror Story. Why towards the AHS? No idea. 1984 because of the continuous reference of everyone being watched.
My questions are:
- is abortion illegal?
- have there been no children born?
- how did this happen?
- does the narrator actually remember a time before or is it all second-hand?
So far I have caught 4 female roles and 4 male ones.
| Women | Men |
| Martha | Commander |
| Wife | Eye |
| Aunt | Guardian |
| Handmaid | Soldier |
My assumptions to these roles?
Women:
Martha – “ugly” woman, some kind of deformation, maybe acne or other kinds of blemishes
Wife – past handmaid who gained a husband
Aunt – past wife who lost her husband or past handmaid who “got old”
Handmaid – “pretty” young woman supposed to be “pure” in every way; often used as a concubine by the husband
Men:
Commander: older man from money
Eye: low ranking man hoping to raise his status through the government
Guardian: man from money who pledges celibacy
Soldier: younger man from money
More thoughts:
I’m thinking that something happened either though war or some other kind of catastrophic event that caused a decline in birth and a shift in government – effectively creating Gilead.
Anyone else want share?
Rosey Reviews 