Red

The color red is mentioned over and over again in The Handmaid’s Tale. Red is a universal symbol of sin, often illustrated as the color of Hell or of Satan, and often used as a symbol of sexual promiscuity and adultery, which can be seen in Handmaid’s tale as the wives, who often call the handmaids sluts for sleeping with their commanders. This is a twisted form of adultery and sexual promiscuity, as it is built on power structures and is not entirely consensual. The red in The Handmaid’s Tale is often cited by scholars as a visual representation of fertility, as it is he color of blood, therefore relating to childbirth and the menstrual cycle. This representation is a lot less common than the most often seen interpretation of the color red, which is something like the Scarlett letter worn by Hester Prynne. Red is also a symbol of emergency or urgency, as can be seen in its use on stop signs, stop lights, fire trucks, and emergency lights. A red light on any piece of motor machinery almost always shows that there is something wrong with it, which could be related to the Handmaid’s tale in that the Handmaid’s are seen as though there is something wrong with them. The Handmaid’s position is Gilead is seen as sinful, the reasoning behind their red garments. The fact that they must all wear the red garments is a symbol in itself, as any sort of uniform comes with a certain set of stereotypes or prejudices. It is worth noting that Harvard University’s school color is a deep burgundy, a shade of red, like the color of dried blood. In the novel, Harvard has been transformed into a detention center, on which the bodies of the executed hang. Lately the color red has been reclaimed in pop culture, a red lipstick often a staple in celebrity style.