There’s so much dystopian symbolism in The Handmaid’s Tale it can be hard to keep up. But one of the most unnerving and omnipresent has to be the ‘Eyes’. In Margaret Atwood’s novel and the TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale, there’s a constant feeling that the characters, particularly the handmaids, are being watched. In The Republic of Gilead, the ‘Eyes of God’ or simply ‘The Eyes’ are the secret police. A paramilitary security service, their role is pure surveillance, tracking down anyone who opposes the regime and punishing them.
The Eyes are made up of former CIA members who had helped the Sons of Jacob to overthrow the US Government in the Second American Civil War, which paved the way for the totalitarian state of Gilead. Their identity is either obvious – think of the typical image of a Secret Service agent in black suits, dark sunglasses and you’ve got the Eyes. When in uniform they drive matte-black Ford Transit vans with tinted windows and winged eyes painted on the sides. If that isn’t creepy enough, some Eyes operate as plain clothed agents to better infiltrate the rings of dissent and spy on their fellow citizens.
There’s no doubt the Eyes add to the paranoia and fear of Gilead’s residents. There is constantly the feeling that they’re being watched; as Offred notes anyone can be an Eye, even Marthas who spy on wealthy households, but they’re normally loyal men willing to do anything, torture included, to protect the republic and patrol its borders. ‘Under His Eye’ is also used frequently as a farewell between Handmaids and refers to the all-seeing presence of something altogether more powerful, and evil.
Is Nick an Eye?
As the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale comes to a close, it’s Nick’s status as an Eye, which has been ambiguous throughout the series, that really comes into question. How much is the Commander a dedicated Eye on the one hand, and how strong are his ties with Mayday, the rebels fighting against the secret police force and everything Gilead stands for, on the other? And will we ever find out the whole truth before we have to say ‘Under His Eye’ to the whole series which has kept us captivated for years?
