Final answer:
An "Unbaby" is a term for a child born with abnormalities in 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Ecowives often harbor jealousy or resentment towards Handmaids as they embody a status they cannot have and pose a threat to their relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "Unbaby" refers to a baby born with physical deformities or health issues in the dystopian world of Margaret Atwood's novel, The Handmaid's Tale. It is a slang term used by the characters in the society of Gilead, where childbirth and fertility are centrally controlled due to a widespread infertility crisis.
This phenomenon is a direct result of the environmental pollution and sexually transmitted diseases plaguing the society. In the same novel, Ecowives are the wives of lower-ranking men who are not entitled to have Handmaids to bear children for them. Ecowives generally have mixed feelings about Handmaids.
They may feel jealous or resentful as Handmaids represent both a status symbol they cannot attain and a threat to their marriages because they are the women tasked with bearing children for the Commanders and their Wives due to the prevalent infertility.