Social classes

“

Who we were, where we came from, what we wanted, none of that mattered to you, to any of you. - We mattered, we are people, we have lives.

”
— A former Handmaid confronting a former Wife with her discriminatory beliefs.^[1]

The Republic of Gilead does not hold general equality before the law; the legal position of individuals is based on their affiliation to a certain social group called "class": While members of different classes can be sentenced variably for identical "crimes" (as seen in Ofglen's case), the individual legal position within one social class appears uniform. In that spirit, the Gileadean class system "replaces" parts of the suspended Constitution of the United States. Social classes differ from social groups (like "Econopeople"), whose members are not necessarily judged based on their participation.

Specifics of Female Classes[]

The lowest class of women in Gilead is that of the Unwomen, usually unmarried women who are stripped of human rights^[2]. They may be arbitrarily detained, executed, or sentenced to manual labor without a trial^[3]^[4]. Unwomen who demonstrate desirable characteristics are elevated to a higher social class and begin serving as a Martha, Handmaid, or Jezebel. Unlike married women^[5], the elevated classes still lack the right to a fair trial^[6].

Wives are the highest-ranking women. They can issue limited commands to Aunts^[7] and Guardians^[8]. Despite their ranking, the role and lifestyle of wives is more or less ornamental, with no real power other than their authority over household staff and the influence of their husbands. They wear tailored teal / blue / green dresses.
- Widows are previous Wives whose husbands have died. They wear black garments to signify mourning.
Aunts are tasked with overseeing Handmaids, Daughters, and Unwomen. In this capacity they are allowed to read and write^[9], a 'special dispensation' not granted to other female classes (including Wives). They can issue commands to Guardians, and are able to report 'unseemly' behavior within households, this includes reporting a Commander and his wife (for example, for not conducting a monthly ceremony)^{[citation needed]}. Aunts preside over general punishments in Gilead, such as executions and the Colonies. Though they may not live a life of leisure, Aunts arguably have more individual power than Wives and have greater mobility. Flashbacks suggest that prior to Gilead, they were unmarried good women of faith who contributed to the rise of Gilead^[10].They wear brown garments.
Handmaids are fertile women who are deemed to be sinful in some way (June, for example, is a handmaid because she was found guilty of adultery). They wear red garments to symbolize fertility, and also because it makes them more conspicuous. A pregnant Handmaid has an elevated status.
Marthas are servants, and are expected to live a life of quiet servitude. Prior to Gilead, they were unmarried women of good faith, deemed to be infertile. They wear grey or green garments, and must wear a veil.
Daughters are the usually adopted/abducted female children that are raised by Commanders and their Wives. They attend school, but are not taught to read or write. They wear light pink or plum garments as younger girls, and spring green dresses once they reach marriageable age.
Econowives are wives to low-ranking men. They are married women of good faith. Like Wives, if an Econowife is fertile, she is allowed to raise her own children. Econowives perform the roles of all women (Martha, Wives, and Handmaids), and they wear grey dressed with multicolored stripes to signify this.
Jezebels are prostitutes who are unable to fit into society in some way, or are women who choose to be prostitutes rather then live in the Colonies. They are employees at the Jezebel's brothels.
Unwomen are generally infertile women (though all single women can be demoted to Unwoman ) deemed to be sinful like handmaids. They work as laborers in the Colonies, cleaning up toxic waste. Some in lucky numbers end up in the agricultural fields to produce food entirely self-sufficient. Most die of radiation poisoning. It is a fate some say is worse than death, but to others it is the reverse.

Male Classes[]

Economan is the standard legal class for male adults, without documented discrimination on marital status.
Commanders of the Faithful, or Commanders for short, are the apex of Gilead's male hierarchy. They hold authoritative and powerful positions, and are issued handmaids.
Guardians of the Faith, or Guardians for short, are Gilead's soldiers and uniformed police. Some of them serve as bodyguards and personal drivers to Commanders.
Sons are the usually adopted/abducted male children that are raised by Commanders and their Wives. They attend school, and are likely expected to become Gilead's future Commanders. They wear light blue garments.
Eyes of God, or The Eyes for short, are Gilead's secret police. Though sometimes seen as legally untouchable^[11], it is unclear if an affiliation defines a specific legal position.
Angels and Professionals are civile and military mid-classes which are introduced in the novels, they have not (yet) been mentioned in the continuity of the show.
Male Unpeople, as documented in the novels, have not (yet) been mentioned in the continuity of the show.