The Handmaid’s Tale season 4: Sickening meaning behind this Gilead phrase will shock fans
Fans of The Handmaid’s Tale will know that Gilead has long been a state obsessed with fertility. June Osborne (played by Elisabeth Moss) and the other handmaids have endured years of suffering across the three seasons, with the women forced to bear children to their cruel commanders. But what does “Blessed Be the Fruit” really mean?
The series has repeatedly seen the phrase “Blessed Be the Fruit” thrown around when the handmaids are greeted.
Many would have guessed this would be something to do with fertility and this assumption would be correct.
“Blessed Be the Fruit” is how the people of Gilead say hello.
It also has biblical ties to encouraging fertility, which is a main priority for the commanders and their wives.
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In the bible, there is a verse that says “the fruit of your womb will be blessed”, which is known as a blessing for obedience.
Obedience is also one of the main themes of the show as the handmaids fight for their independence.
Another verse reads: “If you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him.
“Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity— in the fruit of your womb.”
Therefore, the phrase gives yet another nod towards the link between fertility and obedience that Gilead took to the extreme.
Viewers will know that in response to this phrase, the handmaids must say “May the Lord Open”.
This again suggests that praying to God will bring fertility to the handmaids.
Fans learnt of the world of Gilead in season one, with the show featuring a number of flashbacks of June before the regime took over.
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However, one fans think the takeover was foreshadowed in a flashback scene of June and her husband before her daughter Hannah Bankole (Jordana Blake) was taken.
Reddit user almondz began: “One aspect of the cinematography in this show is how gorgeous but also subtly symbolic it can be.
“And there are plenty of little things the directors throw in to tantelize or provoke the viewer.
“In the first season, I remember seeing this a couple times—in the background of a few scenes, there are little girls wearing red dresses or jackets playing in the background.”
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Fans of the series will know that the handmaids were forced to wear red after Gilead took over.
With the reasoning behind the uniform being that the colour symbolises fertility, it seems no accident the little girls were seen sporting the colour in the flashback clue.
The little girls wearing red were seen more than once, the fan added: “One is when June and Luke are sitting and talking and it happens again in another flashback but I’m having trouble recalling.
“They are just out of focus, but the camera lingers on them long enough for it to be obviously intentional.”
The Handmaid’s Tale season three is now available to stream on Hulu.
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