Behemoth

The Behemoth is a make of automobile in the Republic of Gilead, mentioned only once in Offred's narrative. It is described as "chunky" and "practical," a workaday vehicle that stands in marked contrast to the more expensive and sleek Whirlwind, which is the car assigned to the Commander's household. The Behemoth is also ranked below the Chariot in the implicit hierarchy of Gileadean automobiles. This single reference, embedded in Offred's observation of a Guardian washing the Commander's Whirlwind, serves to underscore the rigid stratification of Gileadean society, where even the cars driven by the elite are carefully graded by status and prestige. The Behemoth, with its utilitarian connotations, represents the lower end of the automotive spectrum available to those in power, a blunt instrument of transport rather than a symbol of luxury or speed.