Through their rebellious actions, Offred and Moira are able to take their minds away from life in Gilead and this displays the ways they cope with society to redeem some semblance of freedom. These are not the only acts of rebelliousness that the two take part in. Offred sneaks into the sitting room at night. She is urged to steal something to symbolize to the next handmaid that she has some sense of control. Offred sees the purpose of this as a way to show the future handmaid the minor flaws in the system. She "find[s] daffodils. [and] [will] leave it [under] [the] [mattress] for the next women to find" (Atwood, 98). Such rebellious acts help Offred feel free in Gilead as well as give her a purpose to live. Likewise, Moira is very rebellious and will stand up for herself in any situation. At the Red Center she demands her own rights and refuses to give up on her quest for freedom. She cannot forget how great the world used to be, hence the reason why she constantly criticizes the aunts. In order to cope with their dreadful lives, Offred and Moira engage in small acts of rebellion to fulfill their lack of freedom. Although these characters use this method to obtain freedom, they also achieve it by taking advantage of situations.
The intelligence and critical thinking skills that both characters possess help them take advantage of others and cope with Gilead in order to escape. Offred develops an intimate relationship with the Commander when she realizes he is very sympathetic towards her. Oddly, she notices that "he wanted [her] to play Scrabble with him, and kiss him as if [she] meant it" (Atwood, 144). The Commander's unorthodox behavior gives her the chance to manipulate him to obtain knowledge of what is happening with Gilead. She also takes advantage of these situations by getting material items from him such as lotion. Comparably, Moira is wise enough to take advantage of situations in order to escape.