Summary and Plot:

Section 1:
Night-Shopping-Night

The Narrator describes the old dark room that she and several other girls sleep in. It used to be a gymnasium. She describes every nook and crannie if this room. it is her first day here and she is very scared and confused.
She begins describing the house. It is the Commander and his wife's house. It is an old victorian styled one. She walks into the Kitchen where she is greeted by Rita, a Martha in her green dressing. Rita nods as she gives her three tokens. These tokens have pictures of cheese, eggs, and steak on them. She takes the tokens and goes out the back door.
She likes to listen in on the conversations of the Marthas. The Marthas do not like her very much. They especially dislike the red dress she is forced to wear and what it stands for. They often talk about this when they think she isn't listening. But when she comes in they react differently.
She walks past the Commander's wife's garden. She oftens sees her here along with a guardian, planting flowers. This is a place where many wives go to relieve stress. The narrator recalls a garden she once had. The commander's wife is not there right now. She is probably knitting scarves.
The Commander's wife tries not to speak to her unless she has to. The first time she saw the commander's wife was the first day she arived there five weeks earlier. A guardian took her to the front door where the commander's wife answered the door. She smiled as the Guardian left. The narrator, (Offred), follows the Commander's wife into the old vicorian house. The Commander's wife lead her into a living room where she explained all the rules. Offred had seen her somewhere before. It was on an old gospe children's show that she watched as a child. Her name was Serena Joy.
Offred continues past the garden and through a picket fence. She reaches the driveway where a guardian is washing a car. He smiles and whistles at Offred. She hides her head and continues walking. His name is Nick. Why does he risk his life looking at her?
At the corner, she waits. A women in the same red dressing and white wings walks towards her. This women has been Offred's shopping partner for several weeks now. They walk to a gate where two men stand guard. They smile as the men let them through the gate. As they walk through the town, Offred remembers the busy streets filled with cars that she and her husband used to go through. Now all she sees is other handmaids with baskets like hers. ll the shops have signs with pictures above them because women are not allowed to read. They go in to a shop called Milk and Honey. There are a lot of handmaids here. One of them is pregnant. To the rest of the handmaids she is royal. They all whisper to one another wishing they were her. Offred and her partner Ofglen reach the counter where they hand over their tokens and recieve milk and eggs. When they exit the shop, a group of Japanese tourists approach them. They want to take pictures of the handmaids and ask them questions. Offred quickly answer their questions and leave.
Ofglen asks Offred if they can go past the church. Once they get there, Offred looks over at Ofglen who appears to be crying. Next to the church is a wall where bodies are hung by large metal hooks. The wall used to be part of the university. It now displays bodies of wrong-doers with white bags over their heads. They are there to show everyone the consiquences. That night, Offred lies in her bed remembering an old friend from her past. Where is she now?

Section 2:
Waiting Room-Nap-Household

It is getting warmer. There are new bodies on the wall. ON e is a priest. This makes everyone think what did a priest do to desereve to be on the wall? As Offred and Ofglen walk, Ofglen says "It's a beautiful Mayday." Offred doesn't know what she means so she replies respectfully. Her husband Luke had always said that piolets and boaters used this word as a type of SOS. But what did Ofglen mean by this? They finally get to the point where they must split ways. Offred opens the gate and walks past the drive way where she is greeted by Nick as he washes the car.. She smiled and walks past. Serena Joy is in her garden.
Offred goes to the back door. Rita is in the kitchen peeling carrots. She stops and looks into Offred's basket. She is not pleased with anything that Offred has gotten.Offred goes to her room. Here she looks around and sees that someone else has lived there before her. She felt as if she were in a hotel room. The last time she was in one was years ago. She would get dressed up and get to the hotel room first. Later on, Luke would arrive. Sure it was an affair but she knew that he loved her. This was a long time before they were married. Offred missed this time.
Offred was very curious of whom had lived there before so she explored the room. She examined everything down to the stains on the mattress. They had taken out anything that the handmaids could hurt or kill themselves with. Offred saw some writing on the floor in the darkest corner. It said Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. What did it mean? She thinks it might be latin. This message pleases her. She believes it was a message from the previous handmaid warning herof what is to come. She starts to think of the girl who wrote this. What was she like? What happened to her? She thinks of her as Moira. Later on, she asks Rita about this girl. Rita is not sure which girl Offred is refering to. This proves that several people have lived there in the past.
It is even hotter now. Their summer dressed are hanging in the closet. even in those they sweat. Offred again remembers wild summers of her past with Moira. She moves to the window seat where there is a satin pillow with the word Faith written on it. What is the meaning of this pillow? Why was it left in her room?
It is time for her to go to the doctors. She goes once a month. A Guardian takes her in a red car. She waits in the waiting room along with three others. When her m\name is called she goes into a cold room with a red folding curtain to change behind and a table. She changes her clothes and lays down naked on the table. There is a curtain that runs from the ceiling to her neck. This is so the doctor doesn't see her face. He only deals with the torso.
When she is situated, she pulls a lever that rings a bell letting the doctor know he may come in. She hears footsteps and then feels fingers "poking and prodding" inside of her. Most docters do not talk to the patients but this one is very talkative. He lifts the sheet seperateing them. He tells Offred that he can help her get pregnant right now. Most commanders are too old to concieve. He offers but she refuses. he says ok and leaves. Offred gets dressed and leaves.
Cora has ran a bath. When Offred goes in, Cora sits outside the door. As Offred undresses and looks in the tin mirror, see does not feel as if she knows her bodie. it is so much different than it was before. She now feels ashamed to reveal any of it. She climbs in and smells a soft fragrance. It reminds her of her little girl. she sits and dreams of her. Cora gets impatient in the hall. Later that night, Cora brings up dinner. All healthy food. Offred isn't hungry but eats anyway, afraid of what they will do to her if she doesn't eat. She tars off a piece of napkin and wraps her butter in it. she then hides it in her shoe. She will use it later. The next day, they take their usual nap in the gymnasium to let the Aunts have a break..
Moira came a few weeks after Offred. She was brought by two aunts. She was wearing her normal old clothing but was quickly rushed to put on her red dress. She saw Offred. Theycouldn't talk to each other for a few days because they were afraid to get caught. They finally arranged to get together in the last bathroom stall at 2:30. Offred got there first. After a while she whispered through a small hole in the back of the side wall to Moira. They had a small conversation. Offred realises that she has failed getting pregnant again this month. She then falls asleep and has the worst dream she has ever had before. She was back at her first appartment with Luke. She is not sure if he is alive or not. Now she is running with her daughter through the woods. She falls to the ground and covers her daughter. She won't be quiet. Offred wakes up as Cora knocks on the stall door.
The next morning, Offred hurries down to the sitting room where she meets the rest of the handmaids and Marthas around Serena Joy. This is a ceremony they have regularly. The commander is late as usual.While they are waiting, Serena Joy lets them watch the news on television. Finally the commander comes in and unlocks a box. There is a bible inside. He then reads the story of Rachel and Leah. That night, Offred lies between Serena Joy's legs while the Commander has sex with her. This is a monthly ritual. When it is over the commander leaves and Serena Joy kicks Offred out. Offred goes to her room and uses the butter that she had hid as hand lotion. She can not sleep and begins to think of the handmaid before her. She decides to go downstairs and steal something to leave for the next handmaid. Nick catches her. They kiss and dream of being together. Nick has a message for her from the commander. The Commander wants to see her tommorow in his office.

Section 3:
Night-Birth Day-Night

She returns to her room and thinks of Luke again. Maybe he's alive. Maybe they caught him and killed him. Maybe he's in a prison. She will never know. This leads into thoughts of her daughter and Luke. Later, a s Offred eats her breakfast, a siren rings out. Her heart skips a beat. Is it thae blue van or the red? is it coming for her? Then she sees the red lights of the birth mobile. Janine (Ofwarren) is giving birth. Offred enters the Birthmobile. Offred like most of the other handmaids wondered what will happen to Janine? What will the baby look like? What will happen to it?
She enters a room full of handmaids. They have all come to witness the birth Wives eat and talk as if it were a sporting event. The commander's wife of Janine sits on a stool as if she is the one giving birth. It is a baby girl. Janine names her Angela and the wife takes it away.
Moira has excaped. Offred heard it from other people's conversations. She had asked to use the bathroom. She took apart the toilet and used the log pointed plunger to threaten Aunt Elizabeth with. She took her clothes and id and tied her behind the furnace. She made it out sucessfully with out the bat of an eye. Offred meets with the commander that night. She is very scared. Why does he want to see her privately? He wants to play scrable with her