Where does the novel (The Handmaids Tale) take place and why is this significant?

The book, set in New England in the near future, posits a Christian fundamentalist theocratic regime in the former United States that arose as a response to a fertility crisis.

The Handmaid's Tale' takes place in the dystopian fictional country of Gilead. With phrases like “blessed be the fruit,” “under his eye,” and “may the Lord open,” this series takes place in a fairly religious society.

The novel shows the reader what can happen when the government go to extremes in order to stop these problems and makes the society ever more real. Therefore, the presentation and significance of the settings in the 'Handmaid's Tale' is crucial in conveying the dystopian world which Atwood has

Ok uhh exactly why is the question here