Truth and Lies in Gilead

The Testaments

The regime's manipulation of truth through censorship, propaganda, and the rewriting of history.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Book Burnings The Book Burnings from "The Testaments". Erasing the Past The Purge of Literature Gilead burns books that are deemed corrupting. Only the Aunts have access to the forbidden works.

The Book Burnings from "The Testaments". Erasing the Past The Purge of Literature Gilead burns books that are deemed corrupting. Only the Aunts have access to the forbidden works.

Erasing the Past The Purge of Literature Gilead burns books that are deemed corrupting. Only the Aunts have access to the forbidden works. The Hildegard Library has a Forbidden World Literature section. The goal is to control the narrative. The Prohibition on Reading Women are not allowed to read. Only the Aunts are exempt. This keeps the population ignorant. The Bible is locked up. The Aunts control what little knowledge is available. The Consequences Without access to the truth, people believe the propaganda. They accept the lies because they have no alternative. But the truth is always there, hidden. The Aunts' secret files are the real history. The microdot cache is the truth that will set the people free.

The Rewriting of Stories The Rewriting of Stories from "The Testaments". The Concubine's Story The Official Version Aunt Vidala tells the story of the Concubine Cut into Twelve Pieces as a warning against disobedience.

The Rewriting of Stories from "The Testaments". The Concubine's Story The Official Version Aunt Vidala tells the story of the Concubine Cut into Twelve Pieces as a warning against disobedience.

The Concubine's Story The Official Version Aunt Vidala tells the story of the Concubine Cut into Twelve Pieces as a warning against disobedience. She says the concubine deserved it. Aunt Estée later gives a sanitized version, saying the concubine sacrificed herself bravely. The Truth When Agnes reads the full Bible, she sees that neither version is accurate. The concubine was a victim, not a volunteer. The story is about male violence, not female atonement. The lie is exposed. The Impact This discovery undermines Agnes's trust in the Aunts. If this story is a lie, what else is a lie? She begins to question everything. The truth, once known, is a powerful force for change.

the early days of Gilead

throughout the story, especially in the classroom