Chapter Three
Offred slips out the back door into the Commander’s Wife’s large, tidy garden, noting the lawn, willow, daffodils, and opening red tulips that look as if they are healing from being cut. She recalls how the Wife, often seen kneeling on a cushion with a light‑blue veil, directs a Guardian who does the heavy digging, while she herself tends the flowers and knits elaborate scarves for the “Angels” on the front lines. The scarves are described as unusual—featuring fir trees, eagles, and child‑size figures rather than the usual cross‑and‑star pattern. Offred envies the Wife’s small, attainable goals.
The narrative then shifts to the day Offred arrived at the new posting. The Guardian from her previous posting brings her red vinyl bag to the front door. Aunt Lydia had lobbied for the use of front doors, but the protocol is still unsettled. When the door opens, the Commander’s Wife—identified by her long powder‑blue robe—stands in the doorway, blocking entry and demanding that Offred leave the bag on the porch. After a brief power struggle, the Guardian places the bag inside, the Wife turns away, limps down the hall, and orders Offred to shut the door.
Inside, the Wife is already seated in the sitting room, a cigarette between her lips, an ivory lighter, and a small ashtray on a lamp table. She is knitting scarves, with needles sticking through yarn. A tense dialogue ensues: the Wife asks Offred to confirm her presence (“So, you’re the new one”), insists Offred not call her “Ma’am,” and explains she has read Offred’s file, treating their relationship as a business transaction. Offred notes the Wife’s black‑market cigarette—a rare luxury—gives her a brief sense of hope. The Wife brags about her scarves, mentions knitting for the Angels, and hints at the perpetual black market.
Offred’s internal reactions are described in detail: she observes the Wife’s blonde hair (possibly dyed), thin plucked eyebrows, flat hostile blue eyes, and diamond‑set ring finger. The Wife’s demeanor is cold, mocking, and she warns Offred to keep her distance. Offred recalls a childhood memory of seeing a television program featuring a woman named Serena Joy—ash‑blonde, petite, with a snub nose and huge blue eyes—realizing that the Commander’s Wife is the same public figure she once watched on TV. This revelation deepens Offred’s sense of dread, as she now knows the Wife’s public persona and her private cruelty. The chapter ends with Offred recognizing the Wife’s true identity and the oppressive power dynamic that will shape her life in this household.