the Handmaids. They are allowed to go out of the house to do shopping for the household (Atwood, 1986, p. 11). However their primary function is to become pregnant and bear the babies of their Commanders. Apart from conducting wars against other republics, Gilead's primary objective is to propagate the next generation of Commanders. Officially in Gilead, sexual activity is only limited to the purpose of procreation and involves three actors: the Commander, the Commander's Wife and the Handmaid. During sex, the Commander's Wife holds onto the Handmaid's hands, while the Commander has sex with the Handmaid (Atwood, 1986, p. 94). Women who work in the kitchen and perform the menial household tasks are called Marthas (Atwood, 1986, p. 9). Old female dissidents, such as feminists, are sent to the Colonies automat
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