Pushing Boundaries

Giavanna Jackson

Ms. Pahomov

College English

October 13, 2023

In the Handmaid’s Tale, readers will come across many moments that make them feel uncomfortable or uneasy. As I was reading, I was mostly uncomfortable reading scenes where Nick made romantic advances towards Offred. In chapter 14, Nick stands behind Offred during the ceremony in the sitting room. He stands so close to her that his foot is touching the back of hers. “He’s so close that the tip of his boot is touching my foot. Is this on purpose? Whether it is or not we are touching, two shapes of leather. I feel my shoe soften, blood flows into it, it grows warm, it becomes a skin. I move my foot slightly away.” (81) This scene makes me uncomfortable because it is clear that Offred is pulling away and rejecting his advances. She knows the others are watching and that at any moment they could see this interaction. She is not able to say anything to him because then she would be seen speaking to him. This is risky for both Nick and Offred since fraternization of any kind between Handmaids and guards is strictly forbidden. As much as Offred wants to feel physical touch and be loved by someone, she wonders if it’s worth dying for. Since Offred pulled away from Nick, I interpreted that as her not wanting to pursue this as of then. So why did Nick continue to push her and move his foot closer? What little boundaries Offred has are being crossed and that makes me uncomfortable. I also want to mention that Nick’s timing was very off. I questioned why he chose to do this at the ceremony, of all places. Technically no place is appropriate for this behavior but a religious ceremony most certainly does not seem like the time.

Later in chapter 17, Nick approaches Offred again in the sitting room but this time she is alone. She snuck into the sitting room hoping to steal anything she could however Nick stumbled upon her before she got the chance to. From the doorway, Nick whispers to her “don’t scream”. As Offred freezes Nick takes the opportunity to step closer to her. “I don’t answer. He too is illegal, here, with me, he can’t give me away. Nor I him; for the moment we’re mirrors. He puts his hand on my arm, and pulls me against him, his mouth on mine, what else comes from such denial?” (98) My initial reaction was worry for Offred because Nick was the one who initiated this interaction so he is intentionally putting her at risk without allowing her to have a choice in the matter. Offred’s situation with Nick is very complicated because she has to consider the fact that Nick could be an Eye and he could be testing her. So for me as the reader, I am uncomfortable by Nick’s advancement towards Offred because if she directly tells him no then she could suffer the consequences for talking to him. However, if Offred goes along with it, she will still be breaking Gilead laws and would still suffer the consequences for rebelling. Nick has put her in this compromising situation, something that he should have never thought was okay to do.

As the scene progresses, we learn more about what Offred is thinking in the moment. The reader gets to see a romantic spark between Nick and Offred develop. We also see them both give in to this romantic craving that has been building up. This moment makes Offred’s entire body tense up as she hasn’t been touched for love in over three years. “I want to reach up, taste his skin, he makes me hungry. His fingers move, feeling my arm under the nightgown sleeve, as if his hand won’t listen to reason. It’s so good, to be touched by someone, to be felt so greedily, to feel so greedy. “ (98-99) My Immediate reaction was to physically recoil in disgust. The arms on my hair stood up and I had goosebumps all down my arms. The words the author chose to use to describe her crave for him are such a bizarre way to explain it. It created a very grotesque image in my mind. This whole scene makes me cringe. The author chose to use taste and touch, two of the five senses, to make the scene a lot more descriptive and easier for the reader to envision. However, that clear image of the scene created a more uncomfortable reading for me.