In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, the main character, Offred obsesses over words and language throughout the novel, mostly because written and spoken language remains forbidden in Gilead. Offred having access to these few words and phrases allows her to feel powerful and have information that no one else has. Many examples of spoken and written language are evident throughout this book and shapes the character of Offred and expresses the society by the use and analyze of these words. The most important examples of this includes the latin phrase she finds hidden in her room, the secret code word she uses to communicate with others, the words she makes in the scrabble games, the word she sits on, and the grammar of the words lie and lay. The
