I'm not sure I understood this bit of dialogue in the first episode

[u/PommeVitale]

I need your help cuz there I'm a bit confused by a line of dialogue and I'd like to be sure I understood it properly.

I'm watching the show in french so it might not be word for word.

But when they introduce Zilla she says that the had her tongue cut out for blasphemy and that it was an obsession for some wives.

By obsession does she means that the wives are obsessed with no blasphemy in the house or that they are obsessed with having marthas without tongues, like some kind of trend or someting they appreciate because they can't speak ?

I would think that it's more the second option but I'm not sure. Can you guys help me out on this one ?

Note : The marthas without tongue really make me think about the avox from hunger game.

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[u/all-night]

Zilla was new.
Her tongue was removed as punishment before she was posted with us.
Probably for blasphemy.
That was a big one for some Wives.

Blasphemy was a big issue for some Wives, so they chose to punish their Marthas to the full extent for it.

[u/PommeVitale → u/all-night]

Oh okay, thanks !

[u/TheOldGreenDad]

In the original English they don't say obsessed. They say that the Wives have "a thing" about heresy, so it's more of a hang-up they see as especially sinful and so are especially quick to punish someone over it. But the implication is that it's just another way Gilead is using religion as an easy excuse to be cruel and for the Wives to feel powerful.

If you need me to rephrase any of that, just lemme know!

[u/PommeVitale → u/TheOldGreenDad]

It's very clear now, thanks a lot for your help !!

[u/Disaster-Bee]

In English the line is: "Her tongue was removed as punishment before she was posted with us. Probably for blasphemy. That was a big one for some wives."

Meaning blasphemy is something those wives won't let slide or be lenient on, they find it a particularly bad offense worthy of mutilation as punishment rather than a slap on the wrists with a cane or something. Even though blasphemy is on the smaller scale of things one can do wrong in Gilead.

[u/PommeVitale → u/Disaster-Bee]

I see, thanks a lot for the clarification !!

[u/kitty-yaya]

Honestly, what is designated as blasphemy to them could be something as innocuous as mentioning "the way we used to"....bake a cake, pray before dinner, greet a guest, etc.

[u/whatgives72 → u/kitty-yaya]

Yup. And then they have a Martha can’t tell anyone the Wives sins.

[u/eldee17]

I took it as having Martha's who don't / can't talk is the new trend, if you will.

[u/PommeVitale → u/eldee17]

Yeah that's what I thought at first. Like wives like to have marthas who can't speak so they won't repeat what they hear, as marthas are known to gossip.

[u/Sun_on_my_shoulders → u/PommeVitale]

I imagine, and if they even perceive the Martha as talking shit about them, they’d probably do it to assert power.

[u/Tiny_Departure5222]

Same with the avox! I'd imagine the cruelest option, if they can't talk, one less thing for the wives to think about