Deborah Chan
In Margaret Atwood's novel-turned-Hulu series, *The Handmaid's Tale*, the Republic of Gilead is a militarised dictatorship that has replaced the United States of America. Women's rights are severely restricted in Gilead, and they are forbidden from owning money or property, reading and writing, and exercising control over their reproductive functions. Women are also categorised into classes, including Wives, Handmaids, Marthas, Aunts, Econowives, and Daughters. The Daughters of Gilead are the female children of Commanders and their Wives. They are educated to become Wives themselves and are married off when they reach menarche or around the age of 12, whichever comes first.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Daughters' parents | Daughters are the female children of Commanders and their Wives. They could be biological or adopted. |
| Daughters' clothing | Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age. They wear pink until they are 12 or reach menarche, then they wear purple and begin premarital training. |
| Daughters' education | Daughters do not learn to read or write or attend regular schools. They attend "domestic arts" schools and learn embroidery and crochet work. |
| Daughters' purpose | Daughters are educated to become Wives to Commanders' sons. |
| Women's rights | Women are the lowest-ranking class in Gilead. They are not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write. They do not have control over their reproductive functions. |
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What You'll Learn
Daughters are female children of Commanders and their Wives
In the Republic of Gilead, previously the United States, women's rights are severely limited. Women are not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write. They are deprived of control over their reproductive functions and are ranked as the lowest class.
In this society, Daughters are a class of women who are the female children of Commanders and their Wives. They could be the biological or adopted children of the ruling class. Daughters are educated to become Wives of Commanders and their Sons. They do not attend regular schools or receive a formal education. Instead, they are sent to "domestic arts" schools, where they learn activities such as petit-point embroidery and crochet work. Once they reach a marriageable age, they attend Premarital Preparatory classes.
Daughters are easily recognised by their distinct dress code. In the original novel and 1990 film adaptation, Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age. In the TV series, however, they wear pink until they are around 12 years old or reach menarche, after which they wear purple. Their arms and hair are covered, and their skirts must be no more than two inches above the ankle.
Some notable Daughters of Commanders in Gilead include:
- Nichole Waterford, the legal daughter of Commander Fred Waterford and his wife Serena, and the biological daughter of their former handmaid June Osborne (Offred) and their driver Nick Blaine.
- Kiki, the forcibly adopted daughter of a Commander and his Wife from Lexington, MA.
- Polly Winslow, the eldest daughter of High Commander George Winslow and his wife Olivia.
- Rose, the daughter of an unknown Commander and his Wife.
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They are either biological or forcibly adopted
In the Republic of Gilead, women are the lowest-ranking class and are deprived of their rights, including control over their reproductive functions. Women are not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write.
In this society, "Daughters" are a class of women who are the female children of Commanders. They are either the biological children of Commanders and their Wives, or they are forcibly adopted from Handmaids, Unwomen, and treacherous Econopeople. In all scenarios, they are officially considered the children of a Commander and his Wife, even if they are not biologically related. For example, Kiki, formerly named Rebecca, is the forcibly adopted daughter of a Commander and his Wife from Lexington, MA.
Daughters are educated to become Wives of Commanders and their Sons. They do not attend regular schools or receive a formal education. Instead, they are sent to "domestic arts" schools, where they learn activities such as petit-point embroidery and crochet work. Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age, at which point they start wearing purple and begin premarital preparatory training.
Handmaids, on the other hand, are fertile women whose main function is to bear children for Commanders and their infertile Wives. They are often placed in the homes of Commanders and are required to wear long deep red dresses, white caps, and heavy boots. After a Handmaid produces a child, she stays with the Commander's family until the child is weaned, after which she receives a new assignment.
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Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age
In Gilead, a militarized dictatorship that used to be the United States, women are the lowest-ranking class. They are not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write. Women are also deprived of control over their reproductive functions. In this society, everyone has a title and a function, and each group has its own dress code.
Daughters are a class of women who are the female children of Commanders. They are either the biological or adopted children of the ruling class. Daughters must dress in white until they reach marriageable age. They wear pink in the spring and summer months, and plum in the fall and winter. Their arms and hair are covered to "curb the urges of men", and their skirts must be no more than two inches above the ankle.
Once they reach a marriageable age, they attend Premarital Preparatory classes and are colloquially referred to as "Plums". The role of Daughters is to be educated into becoming Wives to Commanders and their Sons. They do not learn to read and write or attend regular schools, but are sent to "domestic arts" schools.
The Daughters of Gilead are stripped of many basic rights and freedoms. They are educated only to become wives and are married off at a young age. Their lives are highly controlled and regulated, with strict dress codes and limited access to education.
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They are educated to become Wives to Commanders and their Sons
In Gilead, women are the lowest-ranking class. They are not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write. They are deprived of control over their reproductive functions. Girls who are the daughters of Commanders are known as "Daughters". They are educated to become Wives to Commanders and their Sons. They do not attend regular schools or receive a higher education. Instead, they are sent to "domestic arts" schools, where they learn activities such as petit-point embroidery and crochet work.
Daughters are the female children of Commanders and their Wives. They may be the biological children of Commanders and their Wives, or Commanders and Handmaids, or they may be forcibly adopted from Handmaids, Unwomen, and treacherous Econopeople. Some children of skilled professionals may also be educated as Daughters, even if they are not the daughters of Commanders. Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age, at which point they attend Premarital Preparatory classes. Girls of this age are colloquially referred to as "Plums", and they wear purple. Their arms and hair are covered to "curb the urges of men", and their skirts must be no more than two inches above the ankle.
Handmaids are fertile women whose main function is to bear children for Commanders and their infertile Wives. They are the largest group in Gilead and live in the Commanders' houses. Those who are not assigned to a Commander live in training centres. After a Handmaid produces a child, she stays with the Commander's family until the child is weaned, then she gets a new assignment. Those who fail to give birth after three assignments are sent to work in the colonies.
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Daughters of skilled professionals may also be educated as Daughters
In the Republic of Gilead, a militarized dictatorship that once was the United States, women's rights are severely restricted. Women are the lowest-ranking class, not allowed to own money or property, or to read and write. They are also deprived of control over their reproductive functions.
In this society, "Daughters" are a class of women who are the female children of Commanders, the top men with an abundance of authority. They are considered to be the children of a Commander and his Wife, whether they are biological or adopted. Daughters are educated to become Wives to Commanders and their Sons. They do not attend regular schools or receive a formal education. Instead, they are sent to "domestic arts" schools, where they learn activities such as embroidery and crochet work. Once they reach a marriageable age, they attend Premarital Preparatory classes.
While most Daughters are the children of Commanders, some children of skilled professionals, such as dentists and doctors, may also be educated as Daughters. This is true even if they are not the biological daughters of Commanders. These Daughters follow the same dress code and customs as the other Daughters, wearing pink or plum dresses depending on their age and white on special occasions. Their arms and hair are covered, and their skirts must be no more than two inches above the ankle after the age of five.
Like other Daughters, the daughters of skilled professionals are trained to become Wives to Commanders. They are expected to marry when they reach a marriageable age, typically around 12 years old or when they experience menarche, whichever comes first.
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Frequently asked questions
Daughters are the female children of Commanders. They are educated to become Wives to Commanders and their Sons. They do not attend regular schools and are instead sent to "domestic arts" schools.
In the original novel and 1990 film, Daughters wear white until they reach marriageable age. In the TV series, they wear pink until they are around 12 years old or reach menarche, after which they wear purple and start their premarital preparatory training.
Daughters are married off when they reach menarche. They are considered to have reached marriageable age when they start wearing purple.
Daughters could be the biological or adopted children of the ruling class. They are considered to be the children of a Commander and his Wife, even if they are born to a Handmaid or another woman.
If a daughter is illegitimate, she is considered an Unwoman. Unwomen are sterile, unmarried, or widowed women, as well as feminists, lesbians, nuns, and those who do not fit into any other group.
