Becoming a Perfect Wife, by Any Means Necessary
The Hulu series The Testaments serves as a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, exploring themes of hyper-domesticity and female oppression. Set in the authoritarian state of Gilead, it follows a group of young girls training to become perfect wives for powerful men. The series critiques the illusion of desirability in a system that ultimately strips women of their agency.
- ▪The Testaments is based on a novel by Margaret Atwood and is set four years after The Handmaid's Tale.
- ▪The series portrays a dystopian society where young girls are trained to be ideal wives through coercive and violent means.
- ▪Gilead's education system focuses on domestic skills rather than traditional academics, reinforcing patriarchal values.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
CultureBecoming a Perfect Wife, by Any Means NecessaryThe Testaments, Hulu’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, is more than a little skeptical about hyper-domesticity.By Laura BradleySteve Wilkie / DisneyMay 29, 2026, 7:30 AM ET ShareSave Over the course of six seasons, the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale became known for its brutality. Women who reveal any hint of rebellion against their oppressors, including the government officials to whom some are forcibly betrothed, lose their eyes, their tongue, and sometimes their life.Women who revealed any hint of rebellion against their oppressors, including the government officials to whom some were forcibly betrothed, lost their eyes, their tongue, and sometimes their life.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Atlantic.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Atlantic
