“The lighter was ivory-colored. The cigarettes must have come from the black market, I thought, and this gave me hope. Even now that there is no real money anymore, there's still a black market. There's always a black market, there's always something that can be exchanged. She was a woman who might bend the rules. But what did I have, to trade? I looked at the cigarette with longing. For me, like liquor and coffee, they are forbidden.” (Atwood 14)
This passage is a window into the life of the handmaid. There is no freedom of speech or actions. The girls communicate in complete secret or visually. Certain words are forbidden and many items are contraband, like alcohol and cigarettes. There is also no money, as the passage states, leading to the conclusion that nothing is bought nor sold, but merely traded. The “black market” is depicted as hope in the handmaid's lives. I leads them to believe there is still a world outside of the walls they are kept in. The Commander's wife obtains the cigarettes, showing that power will get a person certain illegal privileges. In the community, information, independent thought, and freedom are all restricted. So far in the novel, freedom or individuality can only be obtained secretly and illegally. The main character explores her room for any anomalies or treasures of the past. She also attempts to steal some token from the Commander's wife's sitting room. These are symbols of false hope because they promote abstract thoughts of the past or future. The only other outlet for freedom of thought is dreaming, but it is a double-edged sword because horrific dreams may occur.
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