How It Ends

This is my interpretation of how The Handmaid's Tale ends. Spoilers ahead, you have been warned.

     Nick, of course, was an Eye. Anyone with such a close connection to the Commander and his family would have to of been a spy, feeding information to those mysterious buildings that once housed students and lectures. How much did he know? And how much did he give away to the spies? Those questions are not answered to us.
     Yet, he was also an agent of the Mayday operatives. He helped those in need escape, how else would he know the code word? Sure, the Eyes might be aware of it, but it seems that it would be a word so insignificant that they perhaps would not take notice. The society had only been around several years, things can slip by.
     He recruited the help of the Eyes, claiming he was going to be taking Offred away to wherever those who break the rules go. Inside the house, the two recruits were under the impression that he was lying to her to make her feel more trusting and go with them. At this point, the book had ended.
     This is where my analysis begins.
     During the drive back to the Eye Headquarters, or whatever it is called, he took control of the van, veering off to a safe house and killing his two companions. He dropped Offred off here, then quickly tried to make an escape. He knew he wouldn't get far, treason was punished harshly. Likely, he was stopped and executed at a checkpoint. His sacrifice allowed Offred's story to stay alive though.
     From here, Offred was moved from house to house amongst the Railroad. Through her journey, she tried to get information about Luke and her daughter. Her efforts were fruitless, leaving her with only her memories to keep them alive. At some point, she was stuck for a very long time in the basement of a house. We know she got intimate with her surroundings, learning every detail of what room she resided in. She learned the basement, and eventually found a tape player/recorder and a box of old cassettes. There were quite possibly illegal contraband, hidden away so as to not have been found. Using these, she discussed her story and experience as a Handmaid. She stored the tapes safely away in a footlocker she had also found.
     Even after her story is finished, she is stuck in the basement. Her protectors have not found a viable solution to get her forward to the next house. Quite possibly there was a raid, backing up the flow of the railroad and holding her up. One day, the residence is busted. She and her protectors quickly leave the house, leaving everything behind. The tapes are hidden in the basement, protected from the ensuing fire by the footlocker.
     Offred lives. Her attempts to escape to England fail, but she manages to find a small community of outsiders who try to live outside of the oppressive American regime. They are inside the Canadian border, free from the reign, but still under fear of how their own government might react.
     Moira had been sent to the Colonies. Her time at Jezebels had taken its toll, and she no longer had any use. The aunts sent her away.
     Luke had died early into the events that occurred. He was punished for being in a second marriage, and was weeded out quickly. He was hung upon the Wall within the first year. His location was far away from where Offred had stayed.
     Janine was shot as she exited the scene. The hysteria had finally caught onto her, and the Eyes decided she had failed her job far too many times.
     Ofglen was protected. She was going to be picked up by operatives of the Mayday resistance. Instead she overreacted.
     Offred's child was given away, as many children of that time had been. Serena Joy was eligible for the child initially, but opted for a Handmaid instead. This is the only reason she knew how to get the photograph.



(Word count: 686 words)