In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred becomes pregnant with the Commander’s child during her time as a handmaid in Gilead. This pregnancy is a major plot point in the novel, as bearing children is Offred’s sole purpose as a handmaid. However, the question arises – does Offred get pregnant again after giving birth to her first child?
Quick Answer
The novel does not definitively state whether Offred gets pregnant again after having her first child. There are hints and possibilities, but no clear answer.
Offred’s First Pregnancy
Offred becomes pregnant with the Commander’s child towards the middle of the novel. This pregnancy is both a blessing and a curse for Offred – it ensures she will not be declared an “Unwoman” and sent to the Colonies, but it also further entraps her in Gilead’s oppressive society.
Offred continues her secret relationship with the Commander and with Nick, his driver, throughout her pregnancy. She wonders who the true father of the child is, but does not have a way to find out.
Eventually, Offred enters labor and gives birth to a baby girl. The birth scene is full of tension, as Offred waits to find out what will happen to her and her child. Shortly after the birth, Offred is taken away by the secret police, the Eyes of God, and separated from her daughter. Her fate after this is initially unknown.
Possibility #1: Offred is pregnant again in her next posting
One possibility is that Offred gets pregnant again in her next posting after being taken away by the Eyes. She would likely have been reassigned to a new Commander shortly after giving birth, as getting handmaids pregnant is their sole purpose. She may have become pregnant again quickly in her new posting.
Evidence for this possibility:
- Handmaids are assigned to new postings immediately after giving birth
- Gilead pushes handmaids to get pregnant again as soon as possible
- Offred seemed able to get pregnant relatively easily
Counter Evidence
However, there are also reasons to doubt this possibility:
- Offred seemed traumatized by her first pregnancy and might be more resistant
- Frequent back-to-back pregnancies could damage her health
- The chaos at the end of the novel could have disrupted the usual process
Possibility #2: Offred escapes Gilead before getting pregnant again
Another possibility is that Offred does not get pregnant again because she manages to escape Gilead shortly after her first child is born. This would likely be with the help of the Mayday resistance.
Evidence for this possibility:
- Offred develops allies in Mayday and the resistance
- The black van at the end implies she was helped in some way
- She could have refused sex or found ways to prevent pregnancy
Counter Evidence
However, there are also doubts about this possibility:
- Escaping Gilead as a handmaid would be incredibly difficult and dangerous
- She seemed unaware of Mayday’s plan to help her specifically
- Her resistance would risk further punishment or death
Possibility #3: Offred is rendered infertile after her first child
A third possibility is that complications from Offred’s first pregnancy left her unable to conceive again. This would remove pressure for her to get pregnant again but could also put her in increased danger.
Evidence for this possibility:
- Pregnancy complications are common, especially in Gilead’s conditions
- Fertility issues were already widespread, potentially impacting her
- Gilead had limited medical technology to treat or assess infertility
Counter Evidence
However, there are also doubts about this possibility:
- Offred seemed perfectly healthy during her pregnancy
- Gilead urgently needed fertile handmaids, so would likely diagnose issues
- Handmaids were assigned based on proven fertility
Conclusion
Unfortunately, with the limited information provided in the novel, it is impossible to reach a definitive conclusion about whether Offred gets pregnant again after her first child. All three possibilities laid out above seem feasible but unconfirmed. There are compelling reasons to think she may or may not have gotten pregnant again.
In the end, it remains an open question subject to the reader’s own interpretation. Atwood’s ambiguous ending allows this important part of Offred’s story to live on as a mystery for each reader to ponder and explore based on the glimpses given in the novel. The possibility of a second pregnancy haunts Offred’s unknown fate like so much else about her future in the dystopian world of Gilead.