The Handmaid's Tale (movie)

Last modified: 2006-01-21 by marc pasquin
Keywords: movie | gilead | handmaid's tale |
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• Republic of Gilead

• Fictional flags

by Marc Pasquin, 15 march 2005

This is the national flag of the republic of Gilead, a breakaway country from the USA rules by militant fundamentalist christians. It is simply a USA national flag with the stars in canton replaced by the national sceal: an "all seeing eye of god" (as on the US 1 dollar bill) behind which emanate 40 rays of light. It is surrounded by 2 concentric circles between which are 13 stars.
Marc Pasquin, 15 march 2005

The rays might be for the number of states remaining? I know the book doesn't really dwell on how many Gilead has.
Nathan Lamm, 15 march 2005

Could be though reading the book, I had assumed Gilead was a rather small nation. Pretty much everything I can remembered took place in new england. On the other hand, "reader's note" type website seem to imply that the republic of gilead is more or less the entire USA so I could be wrong.

It could simply be for esthetical reasons.
Marc Pasquin, 15 march 2005

by Marc Pasquin, 15 march 2005

This flag is seen in a few scenes as a car flag and background decoration. Base on its use and appearance, it is more then probably representative of the party in power. Its simply the sceal centered on a white flag.
Marc Pasquin, 15 march 2005