Love Square? (Offred, Nick, Luke, Commander)

Margaret Atwood has a very interesting way of describing Offred’s relationships in The Handmaid’s Tale. Offred is one of the fortunate women in Gilead that remembers the past life well. She was the mistress in Luke’s marriage and then they got married and had a baby girl. During the transition into this new society, the whole family is separated. Currently she is placed into the home of the Commander and Serena Joy. This is where she meets Nick. Nick’s role is unclear but he does wear a Guardian uniform. During their first interaction, “He takes a final puff of the cigarette, lets it drop to the driveway, and steps on it. He begins to whistle. Then he winks. I drop my head and turn so that the white wings hide my face, and keep walking. “(18) which then Offred is confused about his choices. Not only is this interaction very creepy but Offred’s first thought is to question him on his authority. I find it a little odd that Nick just winks at her specifically like does he do this often or is it just her? Margaret brings this interaction to life by the build up of Gilead. A man that isn’t the Commander is winking at a handmaid. From this point on, it just gets worse.

Nick works under the Commander just like everyone else but he seems comfortable in his position. The most off-putting moment is when he goes to find Offred at night and they end up in the sitting room. “He puts his hand on my arm, pulls me against him, his mouth on mine, what else comes from such denial? Without a word. Both of us shaking, how I’d like to.”(98) and they end up making out. Firstly this is extremely weird. I think it is interesting the dynamic of this situation. Offred knows that this is illegal and she could get in trouble if anyone found out. She is basically an object to the men in this society and she is portrayed with no significance other than to reproduction. Offred knows that women “are two-legged wombs, that’s all:sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices.”(136). I think back into our society about how women are manipulated in relationships and I feel like Luke has manipulated Offred. I think this is how cheating happens. Even though that is literally what happened between Luke and his ex wife where he left her for Offred, for some reason Offred is still in love with Luke. Maybe Offred just likes the idea of Luke and their past relationship.

Secondly, she is married… like she is so obsessed with her husband Luke that why is she kissing another man. To add on when Offred thinks “It’s so good, to be touched by someone, to be felt so greedily, to feel so greedy. Luke, you’d know, you’d understand. It’s you here, in another body.”(99). She begins to imagine Nick as if he is Luke but they are clearly different people. Is it because she misses Luke or maybe she feels guilty for kissing another man that she has to think about Luke? Why is Offred kissing another man but yet thinking it’s her husband? This love triangle thing is so confusing since Offred is obsessed with Luke but yet can’t see him. She doesn’t even know if he is alive. I will never understand this situation because when you love someone, you should only be able to focus on them. Even when Offred is constantly thinking about Luke, she proceeds to have this intimate connection with Nick and to make it worse, it’s also the Commander too.

The Commander holds a level of power that Offred will never obtain in Gilead. The whole love triangle plus the Commander is a mess if we look at it from a power perspective. Although we don’t know where Luke is, we can assume he has more power than Offred. Offred does not necessarily have power but her position is very important since she is a handmaid. I think that the growing love story between Offred and the Commander is cute but also risky. There is also an aspect of their relationship where the Commander is lonely. The Commander is finding someone to fill his void since the Commander’s Wife does not connect with him anymore. Even though this is not the first time the Commander has messed with a handmaid, Offred brings this situation into a different light as she is obsessed with Luke and also has a small thing for Nick which we can assume is the Commander’s right hand man. The entire love square thing is confusing but yet interesting in the way everybody reacts to each other.