Serena Joy gets pregnant through artificial insemination in order to give birth to a child for her husband and the other Wives in their circle. In The Handmaid’s Tale, artificial insemination is the only way for a woman in Gilead to become pregnant.
The process involves the woman being inseminated with the sperm of her husband, the Commander, who is the only man in the room. Among the Wives, only Serena Joy has the opportunity to experience this ritual since she is the only one married to a Commander.
The process happens with the help of a Handmaid, whose sole job is to provide her reproductive capabilities. Prior to the fertilization, the Commander’s Wife must prepare herself and the Handmaid in a special ritual.
The atmosphere is described as somber, since the ceremony is carried out as an act of religious reverence. Afterward, the resulting baby would be legally the child of the Commander and raised as his own.
Who is the father of Serena Joy’s baby?
The father of Serena Joy’s baby is not revealed in the novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. However, it is heavily implied that the father is Commander Waterford, her husband. This is due to the fact that the Handmaids are reserved solely for reproductive purposes and assigned to Commanders, who are ultimately responsible for breeding a child with the Handmaid.
Offred’s role as the Handmaid in the Waterford household was to fulfill that exact purpose, and so it is likely that the child is a genetic mix of both Commander Waterford and Offred. Furthermore, the Commanders are known to have the upper hand when it comes to the Handmaids, which gives them authority to be in control of the Handmaids’ reproductive decisions.
This is further emphasized by the fact that Serena Joy is not allowed to interfere in Offred’s reproductive activities and is ultimately powerless against her husband’s decisions. Therefore, all signs point to Commander Waterford as the father of Serena Joy’s baby.
Who impregnated Serena Joy in The Handmaid’s Tale?
In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale and the TV series based off of the book, it is revealed that the Commander Fred Waterford, who is Serena Joy’s husband, is the one who impregnated her. In the novel, it is implied that their physical relationship is mostly for reproductive purposes, as a result of the societal change that lead to infertility in many couples.
However, the two of them were able to conceive a child, who is later revealed to be a “Test-Tube Baby”. That is, the embryo was created from Fred and Serena’s genetic material but was implanted in the womb of a Handmaid, Offred (whose real name is June).
Thus, the Commander is, in a sense, the biological father of the child. In the TV series, the route taken is slightly different, as the two try fertility treatments to no avail, prompting them to use Offred as their surrogate, who is eventually impregnated by Fred.
Who impregnated Mrs Waterford?
Mrs Waterford was impregnated by Commander Fred Waterford, her husband and commander of the military base that she was a member of. Fred is responsible for bringing pregnant women to the base, with Mrs Waterford being one of them.
He used his power and control to manipulate and coerce her into having sex with him, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. He openly and proudly proclaimed to the other members of the base that she was pregnant with his child, claiming that he was the father.
This was done even though Mrs Waterford’s husband, who was known to be away from the base frequently on the orders of the military, was not present. Fred then took advantage of his position of power to cover up his actions and protect himself from any repercussions by citing orders from higher-ups as the reason for his sexual advances.
Thus, Commander Fred Waterford is responsible for impregnating Mrs Waterford.
What did Mr Waterford do to the first Handmaid?
At the start of The Handmaid’s Tale, Mr Waterford is a Commander in the oppressive Gilead society, and the husband of Serena Joy. He is known to be physically and emotionally abusive towards Offred, the first Handmaid, and often uses her as a pawn to appease his wife’s unhappiness.
One of the most prominent examples of Mr Waterford’s abuse of Offred is the Ceremony. This ceremony involves Mr Waterford and Offred lying together in bed. It is during this ceremony that Mr Waterford rapes Offred and forces her to have intercourse with him, in an attempt to impregnate her and provide a child to his wife, Serena Joy.
In addition to this, Mr Waterford will often verbally berate Offred and make her feel belittled and small. On one occasion, he strikes her across the face and orders her to scrub the floors in his house.
Mr Waterford is also known to take away Offred’s rights, making decisions for her and dictating aspects of her life against her wishes and desires.
Overall, Mr Waterford abuses his power and privilege to emotionally, physically, and psychologically manipulate Offred, forever changing her life and way of thinking.
Does Fred know Nick is the father?
The answer to whether or not Fred knows that Nick is the father is not definitively known. It is possible that Fred may know since it is likely that Nick and Fred have interacted in the past and could have had conversations that might have revealed this information.
However, it is also possible that Fred does not know since Nick and Fred may not have had a close relationship and Nick may not have shared this information with Fred. Ultimately, since Fred and Nick are the only ones who would know the answer to this question definitively, it is impossible to know for certain whether or not Fred knows that Nick is the father.
Why did Offred hang herself?
Offred’s reasons for hanging herself are highly speculative and ultimately, unknown. In Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred’s ultimate fate is left ambiguous. While the book does suggest that Offred may have committed suicide, there is no definitive answer to the underlying motivation for such an action.
It is possible that Offred acted out of fear – fear of what would happen with the new regime and fear of being sent away. Offred had already experienced the destruction of her former life, as she was separated from her family and her career as a college professor was taken away from her.
In the oppressive environment of Gilead, hanging appeared to be an easier option than carrying on with her daily life of servitude, living with the constant threat of government censorship and the monotony of her life.
It may also be that Offred simply chose to take back her life and her freedom on her own terms; refusing to accept the constant suffering and pain brought on by the commander and society of Gilead. Growing up in an oppressive society had robbed Offred of her compassion and dreams and in the end, she decided that death was preferable to an eternity of oppression.
However, without concrete evidence, the true cause of Offred’s suicide is uncertain. Ultimately, her inner thoughts and feelings remain a mystery and the full truths of her decision to hang herself may never be known.
Does June get her mouth sewn shut?
No, June does not get her mouth sewn shut during the series. In the first season of the show, June and her family are trying to escape the oppressive regime of Gilead, and June struggles to keep her daughter safe.
As part of this mission, she must remain silent, so she dons a bonnet that covers her mouth, symbolically representing her silence. However, her mouth is never actually sewn shut. The bonnet serves as a reminder of her determination to protect her daughter and not give in to the oppressive regime, even if it means enduring a period of silence.
Does Offred get pregnant by Waterford?
Offred does not get pregnant by the Commander Waterford. She gets pregnant by another man she meets in secret. The handmaids in Gilead are trying to get pregnant through intercourse with their husbands, but this is not easy as it is socially frowned upon to engage in sexual acts other than for the purpose of procreation.
Offred finds out that Nick, a family driver, is sending secret messages to her in code. Nick and Offred express their feelings for one another, and even have a romantic encounter in Moira’s old room.
Offred becomes pregnant with Nick’s baby, which is a huge risk considering the consequences of adultery in Gilead. Her pregnancy is a symbol of hope that the oppressive society can be overthrown. When her pregnancy is discovered, the Waterfords are appalled and try to convince her to repent and have the baby aborted.
However, Offred decides to keep the baby and sends her to be adopted in Canada.
Is Commander Waterford fertile?
It is not known if Commander Waterford is fertile. He has never been seen with a romantic partner or a child, so it is assumed that he might not be fertile. He may be sterile or he could have fertility issues; this could also explain his lack of romantic relationships and children.
Commander Waterford is a major character in the TV show The Handmaid’s Tale; he is the head of the household where the main character lives. In the show, commander Waterford is married to Serena Joy and they are not able to conceive a baby together, so they ask another woman, Offred (the main character), to help them out by carrying their baby.
This indicates that Commander Waterford is not fertile, but again there is no definitive answer.
Why are the commanders wives infertile?
The cause of the infertility in the commanders’ wives is mainly a result of environmental contamination from Gilead. The totalitarian regime of Gilead has put a ban on all kinds of scientific and technological progress, which has resulted in an environment filled with carcinogenic and mutagenic substances that are detrimental to fertility and reproductive health.
Furthermore, the usage of chemicals as well as radiation in food cultivation has further deteriorated the health of the population. Increased stress levels due to the oppressive rule and living conditions are also believed to have contributed to the infertility among the commanders’ wives.
For those women who have attempted to use assisted reproductive techniques, they are often criticized, shamed and potentially punished. The strict control of the Gilead regime prohibits their right to have children, and any attempts to go against the regime’s rules are actively suppressed.
As a result, many women in Gilead are infertile and unable to conceive, as is the case for the commanders’ wives.
Is Serena Joy infertile in the novel?
In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Serena Joy is infertile. This helps provide a major plot point throughout the narrative as Serena Joy is upset that she cannot bear children. She has a powerful sense of wounded pride over her infertility, and comes to see Offred as just a body, rather than a person, as a means to have a child.
Throughout the story, Serena Joy is seen to be emotionally distant with Offred and behaves possessively over her because of her own infertility. Serena Joy’s emotions surrounding her infertility are depicted in her interactions with Offred, where she shows intense jealousy of Offred’s potential to conceive, and patronises and derides Offred’s efforts to care for the child that she will bear.
This jealousy is often extended to other handmaids in the novel, as she believes that only her own body can produce a viable child. In the end, her infertility proves a pivotal point of the story as it is only through Offred’s pregnancy that the Handmaid system survives and remains intact.
Why can’t Mrs Waterford have a baby?
Mrs. Waterford is unable to have a baby for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are physical and medical issues. Some examples of physical issues include anatomical abnormalities, such as blocked fallopian tubes, or a uterus that is too small to carry a pregnancy, or endometriosis, which can cause infertility.
Medical issues may include certain chronic illnesses or autoimmune diseases, or certain hormonal imbalances that make it difficult to conceive or carry a pregnancy full-term. Additionally, there could be age-related factors at play—women over 35 have a lower chance of becoming pregnant and carrying a pregnancy full-term than younger women.
In some cases, the cause of infertility cannot be determined, which makes it difficult to resolve the issue. Whatever the case, it’s important to determine the actual cause of infertility in order to receive the most appropriate treatment.
What happens to Serena Joy in the book?
In Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Serena Joy is a former evangelist television personality and the wife of Commander Fred Waterford. Throughout the story, we witness Serena Joy’s alienation and despair stemming from the power she has lost due to the oppressive Republic of Gilead.
Serena Joy desperately tries to reclaim her place of power, yet she is ultimately unable to do so.
At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Serena Joy’s resentment of the Handmaid Offred, whom she initially views as a threat to her own power in the house. Serena Joy’s jealous nature leads to her displaying abusive behavior towards Offred.
Throughout the novel, her desire to regain her former power continues to manifest itself in the form of her controlling and manipulative behavior.
However, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Serena Joy is a victim of the regime just like everyone else. She is not able to control her own life and destiny, despite her best efforts.
Over time, her negative emotions intensify and her behavior gradually changes from anger to despondency and psychological distress. As the novel ends, we find out that Serena Joy’s health is deteriorating and she had entered into a state of despair after being blocked from regaining her power.
Although her fate is never revealed, her inability to regain her power implies that she suffers dire consequences.
Does JUNE give Serena the baby?
No, JUNE does not give Serena the baby in the end. After witnessing the disturbing truths about B613, Serena and JUNE realize that it would not be in the best interests of the child for them to be together.
JUNE ultimately makes the difficult decision to entrust the baby to a loving family and the two part ways, not knowing the fate of one another. Even though Serena and JUNE both have strong feelings towards one another, they choose to put the needs of the child first, knowing that they may never be able to see one another again.
