Gilead

Gilead is the totalitarian theocracy that makes up the main setting of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments. It was formed when the Sons of Jacob, a radical group that came up with the ideology behind Gilead, overthrew the government of the United States and formed a new state based on puritanical principles: "a society congruent with the Divine Order - a city upon a hill, a light to all nations" (174). Its location is stated to be the former United States, except for Texas, which formed its own Republic after the United States fell.

Ardua Hall

Ardua Hall is the home of the Aunts, the most powerful women in Gilead. Akin to a convent, it houses all of the Aunts, but it also the place where they do their work, study, and perform ceremonies. It also houses the Hildegard Library, the only library remaining in Gilead, which contains...