Handmaid's Tale

¡§Nolite te bastardes carborundorum¡¨ is what Offred always says in her prayer. She did not know the meaning of the phrase but she felt it was the right thing to say. Later on we learn that the phrase means ¡§Don¡¦t let the bastards get you down¡¨. This short phrase, which was found by Offred in the cupboard in her bedroom, not a notable place at all, carries an ironic meaning. In Gilead, people are …

…one as well as the last one to trust since Offred herself practically does not have any power and any way to save her from the suppression of the country. ¡§Nolite te bastardes carborundorum¡¨ is the inner thoughts of the many women who live in Gilead. Yet no matter how many times this phrase is repeated, Gileadean women will eventually find themselves in a very ironic situation where they could no longer live without men.