What are cooks and maids called in Gilead?

Cooks and maids in Gilead are called Marthas.

Marthas are domestic servants assigned to the households of Commanders and other members of Gilead’s elite. Their work includes cooking, cleaning, shopping, and caring for the household, placing them below Wives in status but above the most severely punished women.

The name echoes the biblical Martha in the Gospel of Luke, who is associated with household service while her sister Mary listens to Jesus. Atwood uses that biblical reference to show how Gilead turns domestic labor into an official social role.

A common mix-up is confusing Marthas with Handmaids. Handmaids wear red and are forced into reproductive servitude; Marthas wear green and are generally infertile or past childbearing age. Aunts, meanwhile, train and discipline Handmaids rather than serving as cooks or maids.