The Handmaid's Tale Trio, A Familiar One

Leah and Rachel are two very prominent matriarchal figures in the bible. They are sisters and wives to Jacob, constantly competing for his attention. Jacob had a clear preference for Rachel, but God balanced this favoritism by making Leah fertile, and leaving Rachel barren.

The etymology of the names Rachel, Leah, and Jacob are relevant to their stories. Leah means “cow,” and some translations say that she has “soft eyes,” meaning the eye muscles never strain. “Cow eyes” describe a look of submission, or weakness. Rachel translates to “ewe,” or a baby lamb. I’ve heard women described as cows and baby lambs. Jacob, or Yaakov in Hebrew, has many different translations, but they all have a similar meaning: “deceiver,” or “he who supplants,” and “he who god protects.” Jacob tricked his blind father into thinking he was his twin Esau, and he got everything by being the supplant, the deceiver.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood paints Gilead as an oppressive regime based heavily on biblical and religious contexts. Leah and Rachel are mentioned multiple times in the story, and there is even a building called the Rachel and Leah center, where the Handmaids learn how to be good women, and be the best version of themselves as Handmaids.

Each Handmaid lives in a house with the Commander, and his Wife, along with a few others. Atwood focuses on one Handmaid, Offred, letting her narrate the story. Offred has complicated relationships with the Commander and his Wife, Serena Joy. The Commander is the only man living in the house, and because of that, he has a lot of power. Serena Joy is his wife but she cannot bear his children for him. Offred must be her “forced surrogate.” Sound familiar? Because of this dynamic, everyone in the house is a little bit jealous of each other. “In this house we all envy each other something” (47). This competition doesn’t result in any progress, and just pits women against each other. This is a direct reference to Rachel and Leah’s story. They are pitted against each other for the attention of the Commander.

Right before the Ceremony, the Commander is reading the bible, perhaps following the pre-ceremonial rituals. “Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.” (88). This isn’t the first time we see this verse (Genesis 30:1-3). It is written on the second page of the book, before the story even begins. The full bible passage describes Rachel being unable to conceive with Jacob, so Leah must do that for her, with her. In the Ceremony, Offred lays in between Serena Joy’s legs while the Commander is having sex with her, a ritual clearly based on the biblical context.

The dynamic in the household is not the only reference to the religious context. Remember the etymology of each of the names? They play a large role in the characterization of each individual. Offred often talks negatively about her body in her narration. “I used to think of my body as an instrument…an implement of my will…There were limits, but my body was nevertheless lithe, single, solid, one with me. I’m a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am…” (74). She feels like a cow, round and tough, and a subtly theme in her narration. Serena Joy is depicted by Offred as “Serena has begun to cry. I can hear her, behind my back. It isn’t the first time. She always does this, the night of the Ceremony” (90). Serena Joy, on the other hand, is depicted as a helpless woman who is fragile and struggles with pleasing her husband, like a baby lamb.

And don’t worry, the Commander lives up to his namesake as well. Offred’s relationship with the Commander changes when the Commander calls Offred into his room to play Scrabble numerous times, Offred finally feels like she has power over Serena Joy. She feels desired by the Commander for once. The Commander makes her feel special by gifting her a magazine during their second meeting. However, Offred soon discovers his motivations for the gift.

“‘But why show it to me?…”Who else could I show it to? He said, and there it was again, that sadness…‘How about your wife?’ He seemed to think about that. ‘No,’ he said. ‘She wouldn’t understand. Anyways she won’t talk to me much anymore. We don’t seem to have much in common, these days.’ So there it was, out in the open: his wife didn’t understand him. That’s what I was there for then… It was too banal to be true.” (158)

Even when he seems genuine in his acts, he is still using Offred and almost manipulating her, deceiving her like Jacob would.

Atwood draws the connection so strongly between the trios that it is impossible to ignore. And knowing the religious context can help us make predictions about each character, get to know who they really are, and what their motivations are towards each other. Why she chooses this specific story to interpolate can be interpreted in many ways. On the surface, she is pointing out how messed up the stories in the bible are, and makes an argument against using it as law, or as a belief system. On a deeper level she is showing how society manipulates women into comparing themselves with others, into constantly trying to one-up each other, when we should be standing together. Both arguments lead to questioning society and how we treat each other, Atwood uses these multifaceted characters to propel her writing forward.

Sources:

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/leah-bible https://blissandfire.com/Inspirational/jacob-the-supplanter-holder-of-the-heel-bliss-fire-network-weekly-digest-february-9-2010#:~:text=EXPLORATION,means%20HE%20WHOM%20GOD%20PROTECTS. https://www.thebump.com/b/yaakov-baby-name https://www.yeshiva.co/ask/190 https://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/yaakov/ https://painintheenglish.com/case/626