The Importance of Human Connection: What Offred Truly Wants

In the Handmaid’s Tale, Offred and Nick both share a romantic interest in each other. Throughout the book, they exchange glances and give each other looks that say what words can’t. They’re forbidden to speak to each other, and the type of relationship they want is one that would certainly not be allowed. Despite Offred’s growing interest in Nick and him reciprocating the same, their interactions make it obvious to the reader that Offred doesn’t actually like Nick, she just craves the human connection that has been lacking in her life by being a Handmaid and seeks the rebellion that comes with it. Offred has no control over her life or her decisions. She’s forced to have intercourse with someone she doesn’t know and her husband was taken away from her. Offred’s infatuation with Nick revolved around this; she only wants him in her life for the excitement of it. In Chapter 17 when Offred goes to see the Commander, while waiting in his sitting room, she runs into Nick, who both are not supposed to be there. They suddenly embrace each other and share a kiss, something they both had been waiting for. Offred says, “Both of us shaking, how I’d like to.” (p. 98). Offred is “shaking” from the rebellious nature of it all. The excitement of being with a man for the first time since Luke is making her want to do more. She’d like to take things further and explore. This is the first time she’s been connected with a man since Luke, which is what she has been craving during her time of being a handmaid. The Commander doesn’t fulfill her any emotional needs so she’s left wanting more, extremely unhappy with her life. She hasn’t mentioned anything about what she likes about Nick or anything good about his personality. Offred is just in it for the thrill of it, understandably, since she’s been deprived of a real connection with a man. Additionally, Offred’s want to rebel is displayed even more in the next sentence. She proceeds to say, “In Serena’s parlor, with the dried flowers, on the Chinese carpet, on his thin body.” (p. 98) It shows the nature of this situation, and how dangerous it is for them to be doing this. “In Serena’s parlor” implies that Offred is proud of her actions. Serena will never know what’s happening under her nose and that gives Offred power over her. Also, “on his thin body” demonstrates her need for a physical connection and her focus on the scandalous situation going on. Again, she says nothing about what she actually likes about Nick. She barely knows him and they’ve only really exchanged looks before and they jump straight to kissing. Offred just wants to feel like she has some sort of control over her life and this is her way of doing it. Lastly, during this forbidden interaction between the two lovers, Offred says “A man entirely unknown. It would be like shouting, it would be like shooting someone.” (p.98) Offred is admitting that she doesn’t know the man before her. She doesn’t know him like she knew Luke and she feels guilty for what she’s doing. Yet, her craving to do something, to have some sort of sense of control over her life, is too strong. She knows what the worst case scenario is. For this, they could be executed, put on the Wall. She thinks she won’t mind the consequences in the moment. Offred is attracted to Nick but not for the right reasons. The shallow nature of their relationship reflects the control society had over them. They had no will of their own; people aren’t supposed to mingle like that. “It would be like shouting” means that Nick and Offred in that living room was them asking to be caught. It was such an obviously stupid thing they were doing that Offred knew she was lucky that they weren’t executed on the spot. Essentially, Nick and Offred’s relationship reflects the rebellious nature of Offred and her desires. What she truly wanted wasn’t a relationship with Nick; she doesn’t even know him, and she still misses Luke. Yet, she’s deprived of all human connection in her oppressive society, so she’ll take what she can get and get into a romantic relationship with Nick so that she can have some sort of sense of control over her life. This demonstrates the importance of relationships in our day to day lives; human connection is an important thing, and it’s crucial that we maintain those relationships in our lives in order to truly be free and happy.