The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the most successful television programs of the last decade. It is based on the bestselling 1985 book by Margaret Atwood and set in a dystopian universe in which women are subservient to men.

What can we learn about The Handmaid’s Tale plot structure and The Handmaid’s Tale characters and how can we apply this to our own writing? 

Let’s break down the plot of the first episode according to Dan Harmon’s Story Circle. 

What is The Handmaid’s Tale all about? 

The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a post-civil war version of America. Fertility rates have dropped and a religiously conservative government - known as the Gilead - has taken over control. 

There are new social classes and women are brought under strict control. Women who divorce and remarry, who are homosexuals (in the show these are called gender traitors), and those who have left the Christian faith. 

Women who are fertile are brutally enslaved to be raped and give birth to children to their male masters. These are known as the handmaids. 

It tells the story of Offred, our protagonist, a handmaid tasked with bearing children for the elite of Gilead, a totalitarian society that took over the United States following a military coup. The novel is set in the near future and includes flashbacks to Offred's life before Gilead was established.

The Handmaid's Tale has been adapted into a TV show on Hulu starring Elisabeth Moss (who also played Peggy Olson in Mad Men). The show follows its source material closely, but adds more detail and backstory to make it more accessible to viewers who haven't read the book.

What are the main themes in The Handmaid’s Tale? 

The main themes in The Handmaid's Tale TV show include feminism, oppression, violence against women, and the power of motherhood. One of the most important themes is that of women's rights—in this world, those who are born with the ability to reproduce are given no choice about whether or not they become handmaids (the name given to fertile women who can be used as breeders). 

Instead, they are forced into servitude by their government. They are kept as prisoners until they die from exhaustion or disease. This is an example of how oppressive governments use violence against women as a means of control.

Other important themes include religious fanaticism and environmental degradation. In this reality, religion has become increasingly important in people's lives—and it has been co-opted by those in power who want to use it as justification for their actions. The environment has also suffered greatly due to human activity; this leads us back again to our original point: that humankind cannot continue down this path if we want our species.

Who are the main characters in The Handmaid’s Tale?

The Handmaid's Tale TV series has a large cast of characters. There are also many new characters in The Handmaid's Tale introduced in each new season. However, the main characters are the following:

Offred (June)

Played by Elizabeth Moss, June is the narrator of the story, and she is also known as Offred. She is a handmaid who has been assigned to Commander Fred Waterford, which means she must bear children for him and his wife, Serena Joy. She was once married to Luke, but he and his family have been sent away to Canada for being subversive.

Serena Joy

She is the Commander's wife, who had previously been a singer on television shows before Gilead came into power. She seems to be more conservative than most women in Gilead society and often expresses her opinions on how they should be treated by men.

Nick

Nick is one of the Commander's servants at home; he also works at Jezebels (a brothel) as an Eye (someone who spies on people). He becomes involved with Offred after he offers her money in exchange for sex; however, it turns out that he has feelings for her later on in their relationship.

The Commander, Fred Waterford, is played by Joseph Fiennes.

Breaking down The Handmaid’s Tale according to Dan Harmon’s Story Circle 

Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is a great way of dividing up most plots into 8 easily digestible segments. It makes story building easy.

If you want a good primer on who Dan Harmon is and how and why he invented this technique then be sure to read our in-depth blog post about it. 

Let’s dive into the breakdown.

1. The character is in a comfort zone

Offred is at home, wearing the new clothes of a handmaid as dictated by the new religiously conservative regime that has staged a successful coup against the U.S government and replaced Congress and the President with a military dictatorship.

2. Your character desires something

Offred - which means - Off Fred, her master, wants to escape the horrible life she has to endure under this new regime. She is not happy. Free speech is banned and there are spies everywhere policing what people say in private. 

We see images of a past life under the previous government of our timeline highlighting her desire to overthrow this regime.

3. Your character enters an unfamiliar situation

Offred is forced into having sex with her master in order that she might convince a child. Failure to do so will result in her being banished to clean up toxic waste and a slow death over a number of years. 

4. Your character adapts to the situation

Offred uses her time in the bath before the monthly rapes to dream off a better life, living in her head. She is also very angry.

5. Your characters ultimately get what they want

In this first episode, Offred doesn’t get to bring down the regime but she does gets to vent her rage against men.

She is allowed to ‘do what she wants when a convicted “rapist” - he has had sex with a handmaid without permission - is brought before the courts and kicks him to the ground. 

6. They pay a heavy price for it

When the whistle blows for a second time indicating Offred now has free will to attack the man we see that he has died. 

While there is no punishment from the state for this there is an internal self- punishment in which Offred has been driven to murder because she is so repressed by the state. 

7. They return to their familiar situation

Offred returns home yet she has committed murder. In some ways, she has been broken by the new government. 

8. They have changed as a result of the journey

The episode ends with You Don’t Own Me by Lesley Gore. According to The Guardian, this ‘anthem of woman’s defiance’ is the ‘perfect, if obvious, choice’ to play out the episode. 

The song suggests Offred has changed, is not ready to submit to the new government and is willing to do her part to bring it down and reclaim autonomy over her own life. 

What can we learn from The Handmaid’s Tale?

The Handmaid’s Tale episode one sets us up perfectly for the rest of the series. It also has enough conflict in it for it works as an episode within its own right.

We’re introduced to the dystopian world and understand how America has come to be in this predicament. 

We’re also led to believe there’s hope in Offred; she might be the person to fight the dictatorship and bring about lasting change.

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