The Handmaids Tale Quote Bank

?
"Blessed be the fruit." Chapter 4, 19
The handmaids greeting that is derived from the bible to fit in with the theocratic state (Luke 1:42) Or the Hail Mary Prayer
1 of 9
‘May the Lord open’
A lot of priest blessings begin with ''May the lord bless'' however this is twisted by the state as all they are interested in is the womans womb being opened for them to conceive a baby
2 of 9
"There is more than one kind of freedom...Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it." Chapter 5, pg. 24
This comes from the idea of positive and negative liberty '' Isaiah Berlin's 1958 essay, Two Concepts of Liberty.'' - negative liberty is the freedom from outside interference, positive liberty is the freedom to act upon ones will.
3 of 9
"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" Chapter 9, pg. 52
''Don't let the bastards grind you down'' This is significant as Offred finds this message scraped into the wardrobe of her room by the previous handmaid. Offred turns the phrase into a prayer like saying,
4 of 9
"Give me children, or else I die. Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear fruit upon my knees, that I may also have children by her." Chapter 15, pg. 88
This comes from the story in Genesis and what is used by the state of Gilead as religion to twist their ideologies.
5 of 9
"Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse for some." Chapter 32, pg. 211
This is the justification of the practices the state has come to adopt, it leads us to question whether every change in society always means a step back for some group
6 of 9
‘The Republic of Gilead, said Aunt Lydia, knows no bounds. Gilead is within you.’
Jesus in the bible says 'The Kingdom of God is within you' Gilead sets up its political regime to confuse the messages of the state with political doctrine
7 of 9
"Moira had power now, she'd been set loose, she'd set herself loose. She was now a loose woman. I think we found this frightening."
A loose woman is an adulterer or a prostitute, but in the context of the novel it shows how after her escape Moira regains her freedom to act without boundaries. It also shows how women have lost there taste for freedom and are more passive.
8 of 9
''In the desert there is no sign that says, Thou shalt not eat stones.''
This is the third epigraph in the novel , it can relate to how the environment has been treated by society leaving it barren and a desert, with people unable to procreate.
9 of 9

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

A lot of priest blessings begin with ''May the lord bless'' however this is twisted by the state as all they are interested in is the womans womb being opened for them to conceive a baby

Back

‘May the Lord open’

Card 3

Front

This comes from the idea of positive and negative liberty '' Isaiah Berlin's 1958 essay, Two Concepts of Liberty.'' - negative liberty is the freedom from outside interference, positive liberty is the freedom to act upon ones will.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

''Don't let the bastards grind you down'' This is significant as Offred finds this message scraped into the wardrobe of her room by the previous handmaid. Offred turns the phrase into a prayer like saying,

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

This comes from the story in Genesis and what is used by the state of Gilead as religion to twist their ideologies.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all The Handmaids Tale resources »