The novel concludes with a metafictional epilogue, described as a partial transcript of an international historical association conference taking place in the year 2195. The keynote speaker explains that Offred's account of the events of the novel was recorded onto cassette tapes later found and transcribed by historians studying what is then called "the Gilead Period." Professor Pieixoto makes a sexist joke about Professor Maryann Crescent Moon, causing laughter from the audience—highlighting lingering issues regarding attitudes towards women, and his ignorance toward the situation.