"As long as we do this, butter our skin to keep it soft, we can believe that we will some day get out, that we will be touched again, in love or desire (97)."
Atwood uses butter to represent hope, which is a theme in this novel. As long as the girls have something that reminds them of the past and something for them to know that they are going against the rules, they can still hope. Almost everything has been taken away from them, but when they can find a way to take something back, it makes a huge difference and helps to keep their sanity.
excellent -- succinct and meaningful -- all the parts and pieces are here
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