the handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood set in the Republic of Gilead a Theocratic and totalitarian nation that has replaced the U.S offer it is introduced as a handmaid in Gilead due to extremely low reproductive rates handmaids have children for elite couples offered is tasked with helping the commander and Serena Joy his wife a former gospel singer and advocate for Traditional Values offer it is not the narrator's real name her name comes from adding of to the handmaid's Commander's names Alfred must have relations with the commander during the child bearing time of the month the ACT is ritualistic and Serena watches while holding Alfred's hand Alfred has no choice in this or any of her other daily activities she is bound to heavy restrictions including not being able to leave the house on her own keeping her room door open and being surveilled by the eyes Gilead's secret police Alfred begins to tell the reader about her life in the old world before Gilead Alfred was raised by a single mother who was also a feminist activist the old world was riddled with readily available pornography prostitution and violence against women Alfred had an affair with a married man named Luke Luke left his wife and married Alfred and they had a daughter due to the hedonistic Society arise in authoritarian theocracy gave way to Gilead as Gilead was being formed offered in Luke tried to flee the country to Canada with their daughter but they were caught and separated at the border Alfred was sent to Red Center re-education Camp they were taught Gilead's beliefs that women's sole purpose was to have and care for children and taught to be handmaids Aunt Lydia is in charge of the women and believes this is best for women Mora one of the girls at the camp escapes but no one knows what happens to her offered is then assigned to the commander where she is put into her restrictive routine she takes shopping trips with off Glenn to the wall where they see Rebel bodies hanging she visits the doctor frequently to be checked for disease at night she must listen to the Commander in ceremony where he reads from the Bible and then must have relations with him one day Alfred visits the doctor who asks if she wants to have relations to get pregnant because he suspects the commander to be infertile she declines one night after ceremony the commander sends for Alfred and they meet in his study privately these meetings continue and the two talk play Scrabble and he lets her read from old Vogue magazines this is forbidden because women aren't allowed to read at the end of the meetings he asks her to kiss him during a trip offglen reveals that she is a part of Mayday a group leading Revolution at night the commander tells Alfred about the New Order of Gilead Alfred admits she's unhappy Commander retort saying you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs because Alfred isn't pregnant Serena suggests she have relations with Nick and pass the baby off as the commanders Serena promises a picture of her daughter in return Alfred realizes Serena has known her daughter's whereabouts this whole time the night the commander takes her out to Club Jezebel a strip club offered sees Mora working there the two meet in the bathroom where Mora tells Alfred that she was recaptured and chooses to work at Jezebel's instead of being sent to the colonies when offered returns she secretly sleeps with Nick the two begin sleeping together frequently in secret offered begins to enjoy the affair and forgets to gather information for offline about the commander soon after Alfred is greeted by a new offline on a trip she learns the other off Glenn hung herself when she got caught when Alfred gets home Serena tells her that she will be punished for going to Jezebel's when she gets upstairs she sees the eyes black van pull-up Nick tells her to go and that it is MayDay disguised to take her away offered trusts Nick and gets in the van not knowing if she is headed for Freedom or prison the novel then flashes to the year 2195 after Gilead has fallen Professor pxoto is lecturing about Gilead and teaches the class the significance of Alfred's story which was found on cassette tape in Bangor Maine it was still unknown if she made it to Freedom or was recaptured please like And subscribe to help support the channel