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?

I've often wondered this and had this conversation with my husband. Quite frankly my dd was a miracle so I reckon I'd be a Martha

One child out of wedlock, late thirties, probably a Jezebel or maybe handmaiden for a bit before being sent to the colonies.

Had my 2 dc before I married their dd so I would have been a handmaid? (As they were out of wedlock even tho I am married now to their dd) but i had 1 emergency cs and one elected so I dunno if I’d have survived childbirth if they don’t do c sections.
now I’m 44, sterilised and menopausal so no good to anyone. Maybe a Martha? Or more likely the colonies

Martha. I think that would be the only bearable position tbh!

Hanging on the wall probably

Colonies for me. Child bearing days are done as I'm early 40's. I'm divorced, a shit cook and my house is a mess.

I'm also a mouthy, opinionated fucker. So maybe I'd be on the wall as an example to others.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Oh Fuck Ruck Sack - basically survival kit ready to go in case of shit hitting fan in any kind of zombie/natural disaster/apocalypse type scenario. I mean, he doesn't actually have one waiting to go, but could pack one in under 10 minutes...

Me too.

Probably a jezebel!!!!

Probably a handmaid as I'm in my early 30s and get pregnant quickly. I think I would be quite cautious and careful re rebelling. I'd be more likely to make small, subtle contributions to any rebellions. So I would be a very unexciting character. I'd want to stay alive in the hope that Gilead would ultimately fall and I would be reunited with my DC.

Gilead do not recognise divorce, so being married to someone previously divorced makes you an adulterer automatically, regardless of the affair while they were married.

I had children out of wedlock, although married the father in the end but that wouldn't matter. I have a few years left of childbearing so handmaid for me, then off to the colonies if I survived.

If we had got married first I guess I would be an econowife, as there is no way my DH would climb the ranks of Gilead command to be a commander, as he wouldn't be able to stop himself striking out about the craziness. Although I'm not too good at shutting up and towing the line so would always be danger of being a handmaid. I would like to think I would bite my tongue enough to keep our children safe.

I don’t think people would see it coming either. I haven’t watched the series but read the books.

There was a slow erosion of women’s right and then suddenly one day women could have their own money. It was signed over to a man. If women didn’t have husbands they’d be in a pickle.

Good luck getting to the boarder without any money if your single or unmarried.

Given how all our money is basically electronic I can see how easily it could be done. Scary thought.

*couldn’t have their own money

Martha I would think.

Either econowife or handmaiden. Married with kids, and the potential to have more I guess, but our marriage was non-Christian, so not sure they would count it.

I'm disabled. I'd probably get a bullet.

Yes, I'm not 100% on the rules to be an econowife. I'm an athiest, had sex before marriage and had a non-religious wedding. So, I assumed I'd be a handmaiden despite having my DC in wedlock.

I think anyone married to an ordinary, non-Commander man, assuming it’s a first marriage, would be an econowife. It was only unmarried women who were made Aunts or Marthas. I probably wouldn’t have made it out of the football stadium, but if I did I’d be an econowife until they checked my medical history and social media, then I’d be off to the colonies as I’m too old to be a handmaid.

I'd be dead. Wouldn't last a day.

I think an econowife as I had my dc in wedlock. If not hopefully a Martha as I can cook and sew/knit etc very well.

Probably a Martha if we stayed as DH had a vasectomy so he would be killed for denying his natural fertility and I couldn't be an econowife.
We'd get out at the first sniff of trouble though, we have family all over the world.

Oh gawd. Yikes

Probably an aunt, but a trecherous one.

As a menopausal unmarried mother who's had an abortion and supported BPAS, I guess I'd be off to the colonies, where I'd die very quickly as I have an anaphylactic allergy to a very common foodstuff.