The first three episode of the television series adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, "The Handmaid’s Tale," has now been released. However, based on the events that have been showcased in the first few episodes, fans of the dystopian novel probably noticed a lot of changes in the series when compared to its Source Material.
Big and small changes
It has to be noted that a lot of the points that will be mentioned below will contain major spoilers. So those who haven't read the book or haven't seen the first few episodes yet are forewarned.
The very first difference that fans will notice is that, unlike the book, the new television series adaptation now takes place in the present time.
The 2017 setting is evident in the various references to today's technologies including Uber, Tinder, and Craigslist.
The original "The Handmaid’s Tale" novel took place somewhere between 1970 and 1980, with references specific to that time. Despite being a completely alternate universe, the setting in the series seems to mirror that of the circumstances of current society, which really adds to the relatability of the characters and the events.
Focus on sex instead of race
One of the biggest aspects that made the original novel quite captivating for most readers is its portrayal of a society that was extremely racist and sexist, both at the same time. However, the television series eliminates the racist part of the story and instead focuses on gender inequality in the Republic of Gilead.
Several characters, who were originally white in the novel have been replaced by black actors, including Moira, played by Samira Wiley, and Luke, played by O. T. Fagbenle.
Good looking characters
The characters in the original novel were mostly described as older or unattractive. However, being a modern television series, which is targeted at a wider range of viewers, most of the cast members that were chosen to play the different roles are younger and more attractive that the ones described in the book.
Serena Joy, the wife of the Commander who was described in the book as being an old woman with arthritis that uses a cane, is played by the bombshell actress Yvonne Strahovski. The Commander himself is played by Joseph Fiennes, who is much younger and more attractive than how the character was described in "The Handmaid’s Tale."
Other subtle but significant changes
The name of Offred, played by Elizabeth Moss, was immediately revealed during the final scenes of the very first episode.
This is quite a departure from how the novel was written, in which Offred's name was never revealed. In the series, the character's real name was revealed to be June.
Aside from Offred's name, some characters are absent from the series, which includes one of the two infertile housekeepers, Cora. Several characters also now have a more gripping back story, particularly the gruesome back story of Ofglen, played by Alexis Bledel.
