The Third Epigraph In The Handmaid's Tale By Gilead

The third epigraph could be a reminder that there are some things in life that are obvious and should not need to be mentioned. Although there is not much found in the desert in terms of food, logically that does not mean that that stones are a wise food source, for even if one were to eat them, they would provide no nourishment nor contribute to their survival in any way. However, sometimes people tend to ignore the ‘obvious’ if they think that they know better. Relating it to the novel, in Gilead society, various things are prohibited, despite the fact that some things are human instinct, like eating for survival. There are rules in place on what the handmaid's can and cannot eat, almost as though they can not be trusted to make good judgements

on how to take care of themselves. The epigraph implies that some rules of authority are unnecessary since people, who use common sense, should instinctively in some scenarios know what to do and what to avoid; yet, this does not seem to be the case in Gilead, in part because the societal norms are atypical. Furthermore, just as people know that eating stones is a bad idea, most people are able to realize, without the aid of a written law, that using women for breeding purposes is immoral and wrong. Yet, that is exactly what happens in Gilead, so readers might question the laws of this dystopian society and, ignoring one’s own morals, is it actually okay to do something if there is no actual law about it.