The Gilead Class System

The rigid hierarchy of Commanders, Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, and Econopeople, and how it determines fate.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Color-Coded Hierarchy

A Visible Order The Dress Codes Women's clothing indicates their status: blue for Commanders' Wives, red for Handmaids, green for Wives in training, grey for Econowives, brown for Aunts. Men have uniforms for Angels, Eyes, Guardians, and Commanders. The Mobility There is some mobility: a Handmaid might become a Wife if she is lucky, but usually not. A Martha is stuck. A Commander's daughter can marry a Commander. But the system is mostly rigid. The Consequences Agnes's status drops when she is disfavored. Nicole is a valuable commodity. The hierarchy is a cage, but the Aunts' power is a loophole. The class system is a tool of control.

throughout Gilead's existence