Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Testaments, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Religious Totalitarianism and Hypocrisy
Gender Roles
Truth, Knowledge, and Power
Shame, Fear, and Repression
Choice
Summary
Analysis
Nicole and Agnes set out the following morning and, as Lydia warned, happen upon Aunt Vidala. Aunt Vidala realizes something is amiss right away and tries to grab Nicole by the fake pearls of her Pearl Girl outfit, breaking the string which falls to the ground. Nicole delivers a heartstopper punch and Vidala falls to the ground, white-skinned and motionless. Agnes worries that they killed her, but Nicole says there is no time to wait, and they continue and meet their driver, climbing into his car. Agnes fears Nicole will “misstep” and get them both arrested.
Nicole’s ability to defend them and fight Vidala contradicts Gilead’s beliefs about traditional gender roles, again demonstrating that women can do anything that men can do just as well. However, in spite of Nicole’s ability to fight, Agnes’s fear that Nicole will “misstep” suggests that she does not fit well into Gilead’s society and may reveal their true identities through her unfeminine behavior.
Themes
