Why do Marthas keep their name?

On the surface, Marthas are a downtrodden lot — not powerful enough to be Wives or Lydias, not fertile or young enough to be Econowives. The name "Martha" comes from the bible, after one of Jesus' friends who is a pragmatic and focused on domestic concerns; hence the Marthas' role as housekeepers in Gilead.

Do the Marthas get to keep their names?

The other way that Marthas differ from Handmaids is that they get to keep their names. The Martha we've seen the most of in The Handmaid's Tale, as played by Amanda Brugel, is named Rita. Handmaids, remember, lose their names and instead are rechristened as property — Offred is named that because she's “of Fred.”

Why do handmaids have of in their name?

What does Offred's name mean? Offred, the name given to the narrator when she enters the Commander's home, is derived from her condition of belonging to the Commander: The name is made of the two words “of” and “Fred.” All the handmaids' names are made by adding “Of” to the name of their commanders.

Who are the Marthas named after?

The Marthas are household servants, given the generic name 'Martha' after Martha the sister of Mary of Bethany, the friends of Jesus (see Luke 10:38-42). Martha is the practical, domesticated one, whereas Mary sits at Jesus' feet to listen to his teachings.

Why do you think the handmaids are not allowed to have names even though the Marthas are?

The handmaids were allowed no identity of their own. They were only defined by the men who had complete control over them. In the original Margaret Atwood novel that the show is based on, Offred's true name was never revealed.

Martha. Why did you say that name? | Batman v superman

What happens to handmaids after they have a baby?

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.

Why do the aunts wear brown?

Crabtree said that the brownish green of the aunts' clothes is meant to convey a militaristic degree of authority, calling back to the military uniforms of World War I, while the dull, pale green of the Marthas is meant to evoke a sense that these women are "wither[ing] into their environment."

Why is June a handmaid and not an Econowife?

But the consensus seems to be that handmaids differ from econowives because they committed some kind of sin in Gilead's eyes. "Speaking within the confines of the show ... econowives can be fertile or infertile," wrote Reddit user Tary_n.

Are Marthas infertile?

The Marthas serve as domestic servants to the Wives, and are clad in dull grayish green. They are low-ranking, infertile women who cook, clean, and help take care of the ruling class's offspring.

Is Rita a Martha?

Rita is among the Marthas who orchestrated the mass exodus of children from Gilead. She accompanies a fellow Martha to the Lawrence household. Rita guards the children as they are moved to the airplane.

Why are handmaids mouths stapled?

The positioning of the mouth guards is because the mouth and face is one of the most emotional parts of the face. She added: “For example when you look at someone and you see they're angry, what's the thing that happens? Their nostrils flare. So that's why it's just the mouth covered.”

Can a handmaid become a wife?

“They might actually become Wives if they stay on a track of loyalty.” The youngest members of Gilead, such as June's daughter, will eventually become Econowives or Wives, so long as they remain fertile and faithful. They'll be married off to working-class men at the young age of 14 or 15.

What is Offred real name?

In Atwood's original novel, Offred's real name is never revealed; however, Volker Schlöndorff's 1990 film adaptation gave Offred the real name Kate, while the television series gave her the real name June. The women in training to be Handmaids whisper names across their beds at night. The names are "Alma.

How do they choose who becomes a handmaid?

Based off of Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel, women become handmaids in The Handmaid's Tale because it's the law and not of their own volition. In the future that Atwood created, women are less than second-class citizens and the government classifies them by what they can provide to men.

Who was Serena joy before Gilead?

Serena Joy was never her real name, not even then. Her name was Pam.” In The Handmaid's Tale series, this character is often referred to as Mrs. Waterford as a sign of respect to her husband and as a part of Gilead's culture.

How did Aunt Lydia became an aunt?

To become an Aunt, a young woman must receive a calling to higher service. They then go through an interview process at Ardua Hall with the four Founding Aunts (Elizabeth, Helena, Vidala and Lydia in that order) to see if they have the right temperament to formally join.

What is an Unbaby?

Unbaby, or shredder, is the term used in the Republic of Gilead to describe infants that are suffering from birth defects or physical deformities. These die shortly after birth due to their defects. They are usually taken away to be disposed of.

Can Econowives have babies?

They are married women whose husbands rank lower than Commander or Professional, such as Guardians or Economen. Their husbands cannot be allocated a Handmaid if they prove infertile, nor can a Martha help around the house; thus Econowives must bear children and do domestic work.

Why do the Wives wear teal?

The commanders' wives wear a blue/teal color in 'The Handmaid's Tale' Women have a unique role in Gilead society. If they were infertile but married to a high-ranking commander, the “commanders' wives” were tasked with wearing an outfit entirely in a blue or teal shade.

Why are the unwomen digging?

Emily and her fellow "unwomen" are supposedly removing the Colonies' radioactive soil so that Gilead can plant crops in the area — the idea is that removing pollution will help solve the fertility crisis — but their labor is just as much a solution as it is a political tool.

Why do the Handmaids wear heavy boots?

“I gave the Handmaids lace-up boots that were modeled after a pair I have, but then I took away their laces so that they can't even consider killing themselves,” she says; that move is also a reference to Atwood's original novel, in which many Handmaids attempted self-harm to escape their warped reality.

What does the phrase under his eye mean?

“Under His eye”: How Handmaids formally say goodbye to each other in person. By extension, the phrase suggests that someone—a Guardian, a Commander, a fellow Handmaid, God—is always watching.

Why are the handmaids hats called Wings?

They're meant to act essentially like blinders would on a horse, it's supposed to shield the handmaids from view and prevent them from seeing what's around them as well. But the bonnets themselves have apparently been a bit of an annoyance to the production.

How did Moira become a Handmaid?

2) Moira had a baby before Gilead.

Since it was the former, she became a Handmaid even though she's also a “gender traitor.” So, several years ago, Moira agreed to be a surrogate for a British couple in exchange for $250,000.

Why is it called the Rachel and Leah Center?

Description. The Rachel and Leah Center, unofficially known as The Red Center, is a center established to house and train Handmaids. It is named after the Biblical Rachel and Leah, whose story provided inspiration for the role of Handmaids as breeders in the Republic of Gilead.