To ask what position you think you’d have in the handmaids tale society?

[Econowifeonabudget]

Been rewatching recently and the whole society is so alien to me. I struggle to understand how their economy functions given that they don’t appear to have widespread internet access, manufacturing, consumerism being the norm, exports etc. However, it did make me wonder what would happen if the handmades tale society existed in the modern day UK. I would guess I’d be an econowife given I’ve never committed any of the major ‘sins’ that might make me a handmaid but myself and DH are certainly not rich, powerful or religious. My guess is that many on mumsnet would be commanders wives. I know a few individuals in real life who would revel in being aunts and commanders respectively (shudder). Aibu to ask what position you think you’d have in the Handmaids tale society?

Dead as a door nail after about a week I’d say. I’d have pissed some bloke off royally mouthing off and been on the wall!

I’m a gay man, hopefully I’d either leave before it happened as I thibk I’d be shipped off to the colonies? It’s been a while since I read the book 🫣

I am a doctor, possibly allowed to practice behind closed doors ?? Otherwise perhaps an aunt, I am 47 so too old to be a handmaid.

Handmaid. Fertile and unmarried.

I think the economy seems to be based on government owned manufacture, and rationing. People don't seem to actually buy anything. There's tokens / vouchers for all the food etc. With no profit or paying workers happening at each stage of the process I guess it's possible to just keep making and consuming stuff. And exports paying for imports maybe?

In the TV series there was a bit where it was mandated that all the commanders houses had to be redecorated.

Everything is shiny on the surface and completely knackered and worn out in the background.

I did wonder how they did things like get spare parts / make / buy new cars and things like that from outside Gilead, but I guess the US is quite self sufficient what with being so large and maybe the factories survived the war and were still operational.

I imagine the new stuff needed for a baby/nursery would be a bit like during the war rationing when a newly married couple got specially rationed furniture etc.

I got pregnant too easily so when young I'm guessing that would have been my lot, as I'm too old now, ummm. - getting out of there!

Hmmmm…. I think I’d be the wife of a “professional” as my husband has a high level “professional” job….. but I like to think I’d have escaped !

Dead, or maybe an aunt if I could hide the fact I was part of an underground movement getting people out. I don't take orders well.

I've actually thought about this myself!

My OH is a senior government scientist, so I would possibly be a commander's wife.

Or a Martha as I'm past child bearing age and chose to be childfree.

Or I would have been executed for living in sin for many years.

It's an interesting thought exercise.

Martha as I can cook. But I'm a breast cancer survivor with no ovaries so possibly the colonies for me.

Hopefully I'd have fled soon enough. Otherwise off the the colonies as a gender traitor with no proven fertility.

I have a second nationality so I'd try to escape.

Failing that I am a divorced atheist 45 year old woman who has not gone through menopause yet so would I be a handmaid for a couple of years? After that I suppose I would be sent to the colonies.

I would hopefully be the one shot when they were taking over. I have big mouth and slight angre issues so good chance

I wonder at what stage you'd make the choice to escape?

I thought the scenes in the early shows, where June and her friend's bank cards didn't work in the coffee shop, and they laughed it off/didn't take it seriously, we're very chilling.

either a Martha rather than the colonies- I can cook and sew so would make a useful Martha but 100% would want to be part of the resistance/ Mayday and whilst rebelling in small ways against the commander.

Handmaid for sure. I'm a well-proven brood mare.

I'm disabled and menopausal - as well as being a sinner on my second marriage, so I'd be dead at the first opportunity...

I'm married with two young children so Econowife if I'm 'lucky'. Or dead if not as I'm an ex teacher.

Hmm possibly to the colonies because I'm a lesbian, then again I'm a teacher so might have been kept on as a useful aunt or Martha if I kept my head down 🤷🏽‍♀️

Probably an Econowife because whilst we earn well it’s all my income so that’s gone 😂 I’m very fertile however I’ve had to have 2 x CS so I guess I’d probably die in childbirth with my next child within a year because I don’t think they did many interventions!

Handmaid. Pregnant first time both months. Or just a normal non commander wife.
Either way, popping out babies.

I have two children with my husband, neither married before or other kids - so I like to think I would be an econowife

I'm an unmarried mum, so possibly a handmaid. But I've got pcos and am late 30s, so maybe jezebels or the colonies.

Then again I can cook and sew, so I might get a chance to be a Martha.

Unless we had tried to flee to Canada and been caught, then I guess handmaid

Yep. Martha or colonial for me.

Yes, I was watching the pianist last night and thought… why didn’t they try to escape earlier.