Colour Symbolism
English Lit: Edexcel A Level The Handmaid's Tale, topic 5.2.2
Colour Symbolism
Atwood uses colours symbolically in the novel to connote the different roles and statuses of women in Gilead:
Handmaids - red
- Handmaids wear red as it is “the colour of blood, which defines us”.
- It is the colour of menstrual blood which reminds them of their reproductive role.
- It is also the colour of sin and passion, which sets them apart from the other women and makes them "other" in Gilead.
- They are both praised and resented for their fertility. They are spat at in the street by Econowives and treated cruelly by the Wives.
Wives - blue
- The Wives wear blue, which is symbolic of the Virgin Mary and the immaculate conception.
- Their role in the Ceremony is that of a bystander. They watch as the Handmaid is penetrated by their husband. If the Handmaids gets pregnant, the Wife becomes the mother to the child.
Daughters - white
- Daughters wear white to denote their innocence and chastity before they are married.
- Interestingly, the wings of the Handmaids' bonnets are also made of white material. The bonnets block their view of the world and also stop others from viewing their faces - perhaps from modesty, perhaps from shame?
Marthas - green
- Marthas wear green and are the domestic servants of the house.
- Green is often associated with health and cleanliness.
- So green may represent their domestic duties in looking after the wellbeing of the handmaid in their charge.
Econowives - red/blue/green
- Econowives wear cheaply-made striped dresses of red/blue and green. These colours show that they are meant to fulfil all of the duties of a Handmaid, Wife and Martha to their husbands, who are working-class members of Gilead.
Unwomen - grey
- Unwomen wear grey in the Colonies.
- This lack of colour denotes their lack of status and use in Gilead.
- If a Handmaid fails to conceive three times in a row, she is sent to the colonies to become an Unwoman, manually working with toxic waste until she dies.
Test yourself on Colour Symbolism
What does the blue dress of the Wives symbolise?