Vocab
bestow
To present an honor, right, or gift
"I smell a rat."
begin to suspect trickery or deception
What do Offred and the other Handmaids call the detention center where they were kept?
The Red Center
With whom does Offred do her shopping?
Ofglen
What is the Wall?
A place in town where bodies of executed dissidents are displayed
disheveled
a person’s hair or clothes are untidy
"to hear through the grapevine"
to learn of something informally and unofficially by means of gossip and rumor
How did the founders of the Republic of Gilead first clamp down on women’s rights?
By cutting off women’s bank accounts and firing them from their jobs
What is the password for Ofglen’s dissident group?
Mayday
What is a Salvaging?
A mass execution
adroit
clever or skillful
"to be against a wall"
to be in a difficult situation in which one's options or ability to act are limited or constrained
Why does Offred become a handmaid? (not a Martha, etc.)
How are handmaid's names chosen?
"Of" followed by their commander's name
When the interpreter asks "Are you happy?", what is Offred's exact response.
"Yes, we are very happy."
munificent
Characterized by or displaying great generosity
"to be in a pinch"
to be in a bad situation when help is needed
What are the 'J' words that Offred rules out when she sees the 'J' on the body hanging from the wall? (3)
Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, Jesuit
What is a forbidden word in Gilead?
Where does Aunt Lydia tell the Handmaids that they're vulnerable?
in bath tubs
zeal
great energy or enthusiasm
"to be wet behind th ears"
to inexperienced or naive. Its meaning comes from a baby that has just been born and is still wet "behind the ears" among other places
What is the proper farewell for Handmaids in Gilead?
Under His Eye. (Ch. 8)
Which US city appears on the TV before the Ceremony when there is news of Quakers trying to escape to Canada?
Detroit, Michigan
What does Offred compare the tension felt due to Serena Joy's crying during the ceremonies to?
a fart in church (ch. 15)