Red Dress
The Red Dress is the mandatory uniform of the Handmaids in Gilead, a vivid scarlet garment that simultaneously marks the wearer as a vessel for reproduction, a visible sinner, and a figure of both shame and dangerous allure. It is the most potent and oppressive symbol of the regime's control over women's bodies and identities, a fabric prison that reduces a woman to her biological function while rendering her a walking target for both lust and contempt.
Appearance and Symbolism
The Red Dress is a long, shapeless garment that covers the body from neck to ankle, with long sleeves that reach the wrist. It is worn with a white bonnet that hides the face, making all Handmaids look identical. The color red is deliberately chosen: it signifies the blood of childbirth, the sin of the fallen woman, and the danger of female sexuality. As Aunt Vidala teaches the girls at school, the Handmaids are "sluts" who have "gone with more men than their husband," and their red dress is a badge of their shame and their atonement. The dress is also a warning: it inflames the "urges" of men, who are "like tigers," and the Handmaid must be shielded from their gaze. The color coding of Gilead is strict: blue for Wives, stripes for Econowives, red for Handmaids. In the coloring books used at the Vidala School, girls are taught to color the Handmaids red, a lesson in social hierarchy. Becka once got in trouble for coloring a Handmaid purple, a transgression of the symbolic order.
The Handmaid's Experience
For the Handmaid, the Red Dress is a uniform of erasure and objectification. It strips her of her former identity and reduces her to her function: a walking womb. The dress is a constant reminder of her status as a "fallen" woman, a "slut" who must atone for her sins by bearing children for the elite. The Handmaid is not allowed to look at others, and others are not supposed to look at her. Agnes Jemima, as a child, is told it is "rude to stare" at Handmaids, just as it is rude to stare at cripples. The dress makes the Handmaid both hypervisible and invisible: she is seen as a symbol, but not as a person. When Agnes Jemima's household receives a Handmaid named Ofkyle, Agnes is fascinated by her. She watches Ofkyle from behind, noting her "pale oval face, blank, like a gloved thumbprint." She creeps into Ofkyle's room and finds her red dresses hanging in the closet "in an orderly row." The dress is all that remains of the woman's former life; it is her new skin.
The Dress as a Tool of Control
The Red Dress is a key instrument of Gilead's control over women. It is a uniform that enforces conformity and prevents individuality. The Handmaids are not allowed to wear anything else, and they are not allowed to alter the dress. The dress is a constant reminder of their subjugation. The dress also serves to dehumanize the Handmaid, making her easier to control and exploit. The Handmaids are not allowed to have names; they are called by the name of their Commander, prefixed with "Of." The Red Dress is the visual marker of this namelessness. The dress is also a tool of surveillance: the Handmaids are always visible in their red dresses, and they are always watched. The dress makes them easy to track and to control.
The Dress as a Site of Resistance
Despite its oppressive function, the Red Dress can also be a site of resistance. The Handmaids are not passive victims; they find ways to subvert the system. The dress can be a disguise, a way to hide one's true identity. When Agnes Jemima's mother, Tabitha, tells her the story of how she chose her from a castle full of little girls, she says they had to run away from the "wicked witches." The Handmaid doll in Agnes's dollhouse is wrapped in tissue paper and put away, a symbol of the threat that the Handmaid represents. The dress is also a reminder of the violence that underpins Gilead. The Handmaids are forced to participate in the Particicution, where they tear apart condemned men. The red dress is stained with blood, a visceral reminder of the regime's brutality. The dress is also a symbol of the Handmaid's potential for rebellion. The Handmaid who killed Commander Saunders used a kitchen skewer, a weapon hidden beneath her red dress. The dress is a uniform of oppression, but it can also be a uniform of resistance.
The Dress in the Narrative
The Red Dress is a recurring motif throughout The Testaments. It is a constant presence in the lives of the characters, a reminder of the power of Gilead and the vulnerability of women. The dress is a symbol of the regime's control, but it is also a symbol of the women's resilience. The dress is a prison, but it is also a uniform of survival. The dress is a mark of shame, but it is also a badge of honor. The dress is a reminder of the past, but it is also a promise of the future. The dress is a symbol of the Handmaid's suffering, but it is also a symbol of her strength.
