Since Margaret studied insects, this means she spent months at a time in the woods. While his father worked, all he could do was imagine things to entertain himself. I believe Gilead was invented by Atwood. I also feel like he placed Gilead in America because changes usually start there. As I read The Handmaid's Tale, I get the feeling that Gilead is a city based on mistreatment. At the beginning of the book, I can feel the fear of discomfort from the gym occupants that has been described to the readers. To better understand the discomfort that Offred and the other women experienced in this book, it is important to primarily understand the different gender-based characters of Gilead. I believe that Gilead's purpose is primarily to make women inferior to men. Although the story is set in the future, we can think of it as if it happened in the past. Before women had the right to vote, if you think about it, it was a lot like this novel. Women couldn't be responsible for anything, women then had the same role they have now in the Handmaid.