In the epilogue, Offred's narrative was originally recorded on what medium?

In the epilogue of The Handmaid’s Tale, Offred’s narrative was originally recorded on audio cassettes.

The novel’s final section, “Historical Notes,” presents the story as a reconstructed historical record from the year 2195. Professor Pieixoto explains that researchers found a collection of cassette tapes containing Offred’s spoken account and later transcribed them into the text readers have encountered.

This framing device changes how the narrative is understood. Offred did not write a conventional diary or preserve a paper manuscript; she spoke her memories and experiences aloud after escaping, leaving historians to arrange and interpret the recordings.

The cassettes also emphasize the distance between Offred’s era and the future scholars studying it. Pieixoto treats the material with academic detachment and occasional sexism, reminding readers that even a society that has survived Gilead may still misunderstand the women who lived through it.