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Illustrated portrait of Professor James Darcy Pieixoto

A character in The Handmaid's Tale

Professor James Darcy Pieixoto

Pieixoto is the keynote scholar in the Historical Notes.

The book

Cover of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood, 1985

One woman remembers freedom while authoritarian rules become ordinary through repetition, fear, and religious language.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Pieixoto is the keynote scholar in the Historical Notes. He helped authenticate and arrange the tapes but treats Offred’s life with professional detachment and makes jokes that expose lingering sexism. He seeks the Commander’s identity more successfully than Offred’s. He lives centuries later, and his fate beyond the conference is irrelevant to the story.

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