Characters
What did Offred’s daughter believe they were actually doing when they were trying to escape?
Going on a picnic
“I believe there can be no light without __; or rather, no __ unless there is light.”
shadow
What does the narrator use the butter for?
Substitute for lotion to keep her skin smooth/soft for when they get out
What do the girls steal for Moira after she got caught trying to escape? Why?
Sugar packets because it’s the only thing they could find to steal (shows handmaids are still rebellious in some way + solidarity/unity)
True or false: Handmaids are given less restrictions on birth days
True
Who’s announced to be pregnant in chapter 19?
Ofwarren/Janine
“In ____ thou shalt bring forth children."
Why were so many schools closed down after the mid 80s?
Lack of children
What caused the fertility issue?
A combination of environmental problems “The air got too full, once, of chemicals, rays, radiation, the water swarmed with toxic molecules, all of that takes years to clean up”
True or False: Handmaids giving birth are given anesthetics
False
What happens to Moira after she tries to escape?
She gets tortured. Feet for the first offense and hands for the second. “Remember, said aunt Lydia. For our purposes your feet and your hands are not essential.”
“This is what I feel like: this sound of glass. I feel like the word ___. I want to be with someone”
Shatter
What does “nolite te bastardes carborundorum” mean?
Don't let the bastards grind you down
What's the chance of a normal, healthy baby being born in Gilead?
One in four
True or False: Commander wives are supposed to let handmaids rest in their beds right after the ceremony for 1 hour to improve the chances of conceiving a child.
False (10 minutes)
What does Offred try to steal?
A withered daffodil
“I would like to steal something from this room [...] It would make me feel that I have ____. But such a feeling would be an illusion, and too risky.”
Power
Who reads out bible verses to the girls at the red center?
The voice of a man from a tape (so that not even aunts are guilty of the sin of reading)
What is an unbaby? What happens to them?
Babies with birth defects or physical deformities. They either die shortly after birth due to these defects or are gotten rid of by officials.
The wives were the ones who passed the decree saying Handmaids couldn’t use lotion
True
“They don’t want us to look attractive. For them, things are bad enough as it is”
What did Luke trade away in return for fake passports?
A stamp collection Luke inherited from his uncle
“A strong girl, good muscles. No agent ____ in her family, we checked the records, you can never be too careful.”
Agent Orange (chemicals used by the US in the Vietnam war)
What does chair mean in french?
Flesh
What does the gravestone at the end of chapter 18 say?
In Hope
“Why did they put that above a dead person? Was it the corpse hoping, or those still alive?”
True or False: kissing between the handmaid and commander is allowed during the ceremonies
False