<Dd> Fertile women whose social function is to bear children for infertile Wives . Handmaids dress in ankle - length red dresses, white caps, and heavy boots . In summer, they change into lighter - weight (but still ankle - length) dresses and slatted shoes . When in public, in winter, they wear ankle - length red cloaks, red gloves, and heavy white bonnets, which they call "wings" because the sides stick out, blocking their peripheral vision and shielding their faces from view . Handmaids are women of proven fertility who have broken the law . The law includes both gender crimes, such as lesbianism; and religious crimes, such as adultery (redefined to include sexual relationships with divorced partners since divorce is no longer legal). The Republic of Gilead justifies the use of the handmaids for procreation by referring to two biblical stories: Genesis 30: 1--13 and Genesis 16: 1 - 4 . In the first story, Jacob's infertile wife Rachel offers up her handmaid Bilhah to be a surrogate mother on her behalf, and then her sister Leah does the same with her own handmaid Zilpah (even though Leah has already given Jacob many sons). In the other story, which appears earlier in Genesis but is cited less frequently, Abraham has sex with his wife's handmaid, Hagar . Handmaids are assigned to Commanders and live in their houses . When unassigned, they live at training centers . Handmaids who successfully bear children continue to live at their commander's house until their children are weaned, at which point they are sent to a new assignment . Those who do produce children, however, will never be declared "Unwomen" or sent to the Colonies, even if they never have another baby . </Dd> <Dd> Trainers of the Handmaids . They dress in brown . Aunts promote the role of Handmaid as an honorable way for a sinful woman to redeem herself . They also police the Handmaids, beating some and ordering the maiming of others . The aunts have an unusual amount of autonomy, compared to other women of Gilead . They are the only class of women permitted to read . ("The Aunts are allowed to read and write ." Vintage Books, p. 139 . However, on p. 100 of the Vintage Books edition: "They played it (the Beatitudes) from a disc; the voice was a man's ." In the Anchor Books edition: "They played it (the Beatitudes) from a tape, so not even an Aunt would be guilty of the sin of reading . The voice was a man's . (p. 89 .)") </Dd> <Dd> They are older infertile women who have domestic skills and are compliant, making them suitable as servants . They dress in green smocks . The title of "Martha" is based on a story in Luke 10: 38--42, where Jesus visits Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha; Mary listens to Jesus while Martha works at "all the preparations that had to be made". </Dd> <Dd> Women married to men of lower - rank, not members of the elite . They are expected to perform all the female functions: domestic duties, companionship, and child - bearing . Their dress is multicoloured red, blue, and green to reflect these multiple roles, and is made of notably cheaper material . </Dd>

Handmaid's tale why are they called martha's