The Wives? Why?

Don't quote me but I think the men have wives because the wives were the ones who helped them put Gilead in place.

It's all about appearances with these sickos and having wives who are complicit in their quest to "restore order" and populate the earth fits their idealistic image and makes their actions seem less sordid (at least in their minds)
remember the people who visited from another country? It's unlikely they would have been so easily fooled by this "civilized" (rolls eyes) society if there weren't wives there to convince them everything was all good.


Again this is just my take on it

I'm just going to preface this by saying that I think that these men are sickening hypocrites (as most people in similar positions of power are IMO). It angers me to no end.

I think it's a few things.

1) They present themselves as true christians, and I think they have to have wives just because of that. The traditional family unit is very impostant, even if the women can't have children.

2) It's a status thing. From what I gathered (I don't remember from the book), wives would be assigned in this new society. A man of lower social standing wouldn't necessarily get a wife, but a Commander's privileged position would grant him that "luxury". So, having a wife = being important.

3) Even if these women don't have any power in society, they have roles in the home, that the men maybe wouldn't want to assume. They have to run the household, tell the Marthas what to do, entertain guests, look after the Handmaids, etc. And even be companions maybe. The Jezebels are very immoral (the idea, not the women themselves), and not all men would have access to them. So giving them a wife would curb the need to go into relationships with other women (in theory).

And I agree with the previous poster's comment about having to keep up appearances as well.

Those are my thoughts on the matter.