Chapter 23-24
What word from the old times did the commander say to welcome Offred to his office, how did it make her feel?
Hello is the word. This feels funny to her given the place.
“‘Hello” he says. Its the old form of greeting. I haven’t heard it for a long time, for years. Under the circumstances it seems out of place, comical even”
Women’s fashion magazines such as the Commander shows Offred was once the target of fierce criticism from feminists. What does she say these magazines once offered? How do the pictures of the women impress Offred?
The magazines offer promise and some kind of freedom for women. They can transform and have adventures, and they suggest immortality. She admires the women in these magazines because they are “bold, striding, confident”. The magazines make women look strong, like only men are in their society now.
Through what methods does the Republic of Gilead use to ensure compliance with it’s regime?
a. Fear
b. Paranoia
c. Ignorance
Explain the significance of the phrase “Pen is Envy” in relation to the moment.
Words are power, and by taking this right to read and write away from women, there is a breach of autonomy. Words provide time for coherent and deliberate thought which can become an extreme power for uprising against authority. With this pen, there is power to write. Offred is jealous of the autonomy the pen holds and that the Commander holds that power.
Name a Scrabble word used in the book
Prolix, quartz, quandary, sylph, rhythm, larynx, valance, quince, zygote, gorge, limp
What was written in Offred’s closet? What was her first thought after she saw it?
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” were the words on the wall. This sounded like a command from the last handmaid to her.
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” (146) “(The words) sounds in my head now less like a prayer and more like a command” (146)
What is significant about the Commander not knowing the conditions Handmaids must live in?
It shows how privileged men are in this society because they are so unaware of what the Handmaids must go through. He doesn’t have any rules he has to follow, the Commanders do whatever they want. Offred and the other Handmaids have to follow these rules, like not using lotion, or else they will die by being sent to the Colonies.
Why is Offred both eager and terrified to converse with Ofglen? What does she think the benefits and risks of it are?
a. Hope
b. Information
c. Paranoia
Why is the Lord’s Prayer satirized?
It is a mocking tone because the process of the prayer is not applicable to all prayers or needs from a higher being. Instead, it gives multiple required topics of discussion of the reason for prayer, causing a draining process that limits access to prayer; even prayer is limiting the pleads of women.
Name one of the titles of magazines/novels Offred reads in the Commander's office
Mademoiselle magazine, Esquire magazine, Ms magazine, Reader’s Digest, a book by Raymond Chandler (not named), Hard Times by Charles Dickens
What did the commander ask Offred to do before she left his office the first time? How did this make her?
He asked her to kiss him. She was angry and wanted to murder him.
“I want you to kiss me” (139). I think about how I could… drive the sharp end into him” (140).
What are the different feelings Offred experiences after the new arrangements with the Commander? How has she changed from the first Ceremony?
She says it is awkward now and doesn’t feel like it is just a job as it was before. Now that there is a new dynamic between them, there is a different energy in the room. He actually looks at her and she feels shy around him, because there are actual feelings involved now. She feels like she has power over Serena, because the Commander now cares about her. He tries to touch her, which is very different from the first Ceremony. Now they are not just objects to each other.
Why did Offred find her mother embarrassing when she was an adolescent? How has her attitude changed now?
a. Her activism
b. Her absence
c. Realization of her good relationship
When the Commander reveals that the previous Handmaid had killed herself because “Serena found out”, what does this infer?
Offred is not the first handmaid to receive the Commander’s treatment of reading and writing. She realizes she is as valuable as a dog, filling in as a replacement after the loss of the previous handmaid.
What was the breakfast that fell on the floor after Cora found Offred limp on the ground?
Orange juice, eggs, and toast