The Handmaid's Tale Wiki
Advertisement
The Handmaid's Tale Wiki

Mrs. O'Conner is a character in The Handmaid's Tale. She is a former higher-ranked Wife. She is portrayed by Marisa Tomei

Mrs. O'Conner was sent to the Colonies, because she adulterated with another man and slept with him. Upon her arrival, she isn't welcomed by the other prisoners.[1]

While working in the fields, Emily talks to Mrs. O'Conner and offers her some advice. She gives her some antibiotics to prevent her from getting sick and when Mrs. O'Conner asks why she's helping her, Emily says that her "mistress was kind" to her once.[1]

Emily hears someone vomiting and finds the Mrs. O'Conner being violently sick. Emily asks if she took the antibiotics that she gave her. She says that she doesn't think they are working. The woman realizes that she gave her something else, something deadly. Emily says she did it because every month she held a girl down while her husband raped her. After her death, they placed her body outside on a cross.[1]

Notes[]

Although Mrs. O'Conner is a true believer in Gileadean society, she still had different opinions about a few concepts of its social structure: she was not in favor of the university purges, believing someone shouldn't be punished just for having formal education (she herself had a M.F.A. in interior design before the law changed) and seemed to believe God would ultimately forgive her for having an affair with another man because it was motivated by love.

Apperances[]

Season Two[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Episode 2.2, "Unwomen"
Advertisement