In “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the term for Gilead’s secret police is the Eyes, formally called the Eyes of God.
Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel depicts the Eyes as an intimidating instrument of surveillance and political control. Their role is deliberately unclear: they may arrest dissidents, investigate crimes, enforce the regime’s religious laws, or manipulate people through fear. Because citizens cannot easily tell who is watching or reporting them, suspicion becomes part of everyday life.
The name reflects Gilead’s theocratic language. “Eyes of God” presents state surveillance as divine observation, while the recurring phrase “Under His Eye” turns an ordinary farewell into a reminder that private behaviour may be monitored. The system encourages people to police themselves and one another.
The Sons of Jacob are the revolutionary movement that establishes Gilead, not its secret police. Guardians are soldiers and guards with more visible security duties, while Angels are elite military personnel. The concise quiz answer “Eyes” is therefore the canonical term, with “Eyes of God” as its expanded form.