I finally got some answers to my big question: How did all this happen? About a third of the way from the end of the book, Offred described the series of events that lead to the founding of the Republic of Gilead. After a catastrophe in Washington–which was most likely planned and executed by some future members of the Republic–the Constitution gets suspended and over the period of several months, civil rights are taken away. Women have even more rights taken away. Offred describes losing her job, then finding out that she can no longer access her own bank account. And I found myself having some of the same thoughts I have when I read books about Jewish people in Europe in the 1930s. I kept mentally yelling at the women to “Get out! Get out now while you still have the chance!”
I also figured out what was happening with the pollution situation. The Republic has turned the hot spots into gulags, where undesirables work until they die of poisoning and/or radiation sickness.