"The Handmaid's Mayday" Game

Last week, in an effort to gain some empathy for Offred, the main character in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale my AP English Literature class attempted to replicate the Republic of Gilead through an extensive role-playing activity. My class, consisting of approximately 20 students, was divided into the following characters: 4 Eyes, 4 Rebels, and 12 Handmaids. The Eyes were the government's spies, employing cunning and sleuthing to expose and dispose of all Rebels. The Rebels were enemies of the government, attempting to liberate all Handmaids and ruin the Republic. The Handmaids were the coveted, enslaved citizens, doomed to to a life in fear of the Eyes and desperate to be freed by the Rebels. However, there was one really big catch: none of us knew what character any of the others were. This is where the rules come in and the game gets interesting.

Each stage of the game was divided into two phases: daytime and nighttime. In the daytime phase, we were allowed to converse with the other players, attempting to feel them out and discover their identities without directly revealing anything. In the nighttime phase, all players put their heads down on their desks and closed their eyes. Then, the Rebels rose, and, after discussion and contemplation, chose an individual who they perceived to be a Handmaid to liberate. If the individual was a Handmaid, he or she could choose to take their freedom or join the Rebel force. If the individual was an Eye, the Rebel who did the liberating would die (be expelled from the game and exit the room). Next, the Eyes rose, and, after discussion and contemplation, chose an individual who they perceived to be a Rebel to execute. If the individual was a Rebel,  he or she would die (be expelled from the game and exit the room). If the individual was an unjustly executed Handmaid, both he or she and the Eye who did the executing would die (be expelled from the game and exit the room). Finally, the day phase would begin again, and the cycle continued until either all of the Eyes or all of the Rebels were eliminated from the classroom.

Now, strategy came into play when we realized what we were actually playing for. At the end of the game, project points (which are a test grade) were reward as follows:

• 20 points to all liberated Handmaids
• 10 points to all surviving, non-liberated Handmaids
• 40 points to all surviving, liberated Handmaids who joined the Rebel forces
• 20 points to all surviving Rebels
• 20 points to all surviving Eyes
• NO POINTS to executed Handmaids, Eyes, or Rebels

For the game, I was dealt the role of a Rebel, and faced many issues and contemplated many questions in acting out my character. Firstly, how could I convince the other players that I was a Handmaid? Secondly, how could I differentiate between which of the other characters were Rebels and which were Eyes? Thirdly, should I be the one to liberate a potential Handmaid, risking sudden death but possibly gaining a member for our Rebel forces or coming closer to winning the game? Fourthly, should I make alliances, or do probable risks outweigh probable benefits?

Though I was exposed and eliminated from the game early on, I witnessed enough of the chaos that ensued to confirm strong correlations between the feelings that we as role players felt and what the Handmaids and Rebels must feel in The Handmaid's Tale. Composure and a sense of confidence and security were lost in a sea of uncertainty, confusion, anxiety, and fear. At the beginning of each day, there was no way of knowing whether it would end in death, liberation, or further repression. Similarly, Atwood's characters must constantly contemplate their actions and how they are interpreted by others, and must decide whether the oblique quality of life is finally amplified enough to make the risks associated with breaking free worth taking. Altogether, the "Handmaid's Mayday" was definitely worth experiencing, as it helped me to interpret what kinds of attitudes and experiences I would have if I were to live in a world similar to Offred's. Even though I didn't literally gain anything (project points) from the game, it helped me to accept Offred's justification of her own actions, for I'm not sure if I would be able to escape and disobey if it put my life and the lives of others at stake.