How does The Handmaid's Tale book end and what does it mean for the final season of the Hulu TV show? (2024)

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Few books have become as prophetic as The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. When it was published in 1985, the novel’s dystopian take on reproductive rights and gender inequality garnered critical and commercial acclaim, but what does the ending mean and how does it relate to the hit television adaptation on Hulu?

We’ll be breaking down the ending to The Handmaid’s Tale novel and explaining how it differs from the TV show ahead of its upcoming sixth and final season.

The Handmaid’s Tale ending, explained

Throughout The Handmaid’s Tale, we are treated to a firsthand account of Offred’s experience in Gilead, which includes sexual slavery and abuse at the hands of her Commander and his wife. The Commander, whose surname is never revealed in the main book and is only implied in the epilogue, starts to form a more romantic connection with Offred, which is illegal in the strict authoritarian nation of Gilead.

Offred starts to consensual romantic relationship with Nick, the Commander’s driver, at the behest of Serena, the Commander’s wife. She also learns of a secret resistance within Gilead called Mayday. When Offred becomes pregnant with Nick’s child, Serena discovers her relationship with her husband that goes beyond the scope of the Ceremony, a monthly fertility ritual that culminates in the rape of the Handmaid involved. At the end of the novel, Offred is taken away by The Eyes, a group of officers who act as the secret police in Gilead.

It is unclear if Offred is being taken away by The Eyes or Mayday. Nick seems to imply that he is part of the resistance and that Offred should “trust him” but it is left vague and open to interpretation.

What happens in The Handmaid’s Tale epilogue?

That is the end of Offred’s story in the book, but the epilogue irons a few details out. At a historical conference in the year 2195, it is explained that the events of the novel were recorded on cassette tapes that were found and transcribed later. It is explained that Offred’s story takes place during “the Gilead Period” which has since ended with the fall of the fascist regime. It does say that Nick was indeed part of Mayday but doesn’t say what happened to Offred in the end.

What is Offred’s name in The Handmaid’s Tale?

While the Hulu TV show has given Offred the name June, that name is only implied by the novel. In fact, Margaret Atwood has said that she never intended for that to be the main character’s name but it makes sense so she has allowed fans to latch onto the theory. The name June originally came from the list of names the trainee handmaids would whisper to each other as they fell asleep at night. Of those spoken, June was the only one not accounted for, which seemed to imply that it belonged to Offred.

How does The Handmaid’s Tale book differ from the show?

The first season of The Handmaid’s Tale is remarkably close to the first book, complete with flashbacks to how Offred came to be trapped in Gilead and how she was separated from her husband and child. However, from the second season onward, The Handmaid’s Tale has forged new ground for June and the Resistance in Gilead. This is because the first season ends almost exactly how the novel ends – everything since then has been original to the series.

Aside from expanding the plot greatly, The Handmaid’s Tale series also empowers June more than Atwood’s novel did. In the book, she seldom took any action for herself and was very passive within the plot. Her purpose was to allow the viewer to see the world of Gilead through her eyes. The series has made her far more active and involved in the plot.

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Related Topics

• Literary
• Hulu
• The Handmaid's Tale