The Handmaid's Tale Q&A

Serena discovers that Offred has been having a secret affair with the Commander, but before she can be punished, Offred is picked up by a van from the government. Nick claims that the van has been sent by Mayday, a resistance movement, but Offred is unsure about his loyalty to her. The historical notes postulate that she must have survived because she was able to record her experience later onwards using Audiotapes.

The Mayday Resistance involves a group of men and women working in secret to overthrow the Gilead government. The Historical Notes section accords them a different name and indicates that they were successful in smuggling women out of Gilead. Offred learns about the organization through the Handmaid she accompanies to the market every day, Ofglen. Nick claims to be a member of the organization when he comes to lead Offred into the black van that arrives to take her away.

The Commander takes pleasure in making Offred more comfortable in her position by giving her small concessions in secret. He allows her to read, and play games of Scrabble and eventually takes her out to a hotel where the other commanders have sex with prostitutes. She learns that he had offered similar things to the previous handmaid, but she committed suicide when Serena learned of her association with the Commander.

Offred is married to Luke who had divorced his first wife to be married to her. The Gilead government annuls all second marriages, and sentences all women who have produced children in the past to serve as breeding stock for the important members of the government.