Birth Day for Janine

Offred and other Handmaids attend Janine's birth, a communal event. Janine gives birth to a baby girl, who is immediately taken by the Commander's Wife and named Angela. The birth is a triumph for the Handmaids, but Offred feels a mix of joy and envy. The event highlights the regime's focus on reproduction and the Handmaids' role as vessels. Afterward, Offred returns home exhausted, her breasts leaking fake milk, a reminder of her own failure to conceive.