What Is the Difference Between a Handmaid and a Martha?
Sometimes It Seems Like It's Mostly in the Dresses They Wear, but That's Not True at All. a Handmaid, as Viewers of the Show Are Aware, Is a Woman Forced into...
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Just so, what makes someone a Martha in Handmaid's Tale?
On the surface, Marthas are a downtrodden lot — not powerful enough to be Wives or Lydias, not fertile or young enough to be Econowives. The name "Martha" comes from the bible, after one of Jesus' friends who is a pragmatic and focused on domestic concerns; hence the Marthas' role as housekeepers in Gilead.
Likewise, what is a Martha? Early on in the series, Serena Joy scoffs that Offred is "not a Martha," but this is not a name — it's a title. Marthas are essentially maids, or housekeepers. They do cooking and chores for wealthy families. They nanny the children.
Just so, are Marthas higher than handmaids?
The Marthas rank higher than handmaids and are assigned to Commanders as household servants rather than sex slaves.
What makes you a handmaid?
Role in society. In Gilead, Handmaids are fertile women, who are supposed to be impregnated by Commanders or Angels whose Wives are infertile, thus providing them with children. Only high ranking men - such as Commanders - are allowed to have a Handmaid assigned to them.
