In class we discussed the second paragraph on page 196 of "The Handmaid's Tales". This paragraph truly embodies the power of knowledge, how the handmaids feel about men, and what "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" means.
When Offred is finally able to write something down, everything she has been thinking in her head seems to come to life. This proves the overall power that the pen holds and how just knowing you have the knowledge to write something down can empower a person completely. Being able to physically write out "do not let the bastards grind you down" may be the push Offred needed to truly believe and live by those words.
This paragraph also shows what the handmaids feel about the men who control their lives. In class we came to the conclusion that "Pen Is Envy" clearly stands for "penis envy". This means that whoever holds the pen holds the power, and in this situation, it is only the men who are allowed to use this power. This leaves women with only envy for the knowledge and power that men have. Envy is also one of the seven deadly sins in the bible, so I am curious to see if a religious connection comes into play with the phrase "pen is envy".
"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum" means "do not let the bastards grind you down". While this holds a powerful meaning in the words itself, I think the most important thing about this phrase is that it connects Offred to the women who lived in her room before her. It is a reminder to Offred that whoever this women was got out of her bad situation. It is also a reminder to Offred that the stories that are so fuzzy in her head are true. This phrase is a continuous reminder that men are not supposed to be treating her the way they do and that society was not always the way it is portrayed in this novel.
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