2.12.9
Chapter 39
Chapter 39 - Summary and Key Quotations
Chapter 39 - Summary and Key Quotations
The action moves to one of the hotel rooms. The Commander gets Offred alone to have sex with her.
Offred's thoughts during sex
Offred's thoughts during sex
- While he is trying to seduce her, Offred cannot stop thinking about Moira telling her that she had seen her mother in a film about the "unwomen" in the Colonies.
- She remembers being with Luke when she discovered that her mother had disappeared.
- The Commander says that he wants Offred to enjoy the sex but she is not interested at all. She goes along with it because she doesn't want to displease him.
"The same... serviced"
"The same... serviced"
- "The drapes are the same"
- Irony. Previously, Offred visited with her lover. Now, she visits with a Commander who uses her for sex and nothing more.
- "Serena wants me serviced"
- This references the plan for Offred to sleep with Nick to get pregnant. The verb "serviced" indicates that this is a purely mechanical action, like having a vehicle serviced.
"Dead bird... afford pride"
"Dead bird... afford pride"
- "I lie there like a dead bird... I can't afford pride or aversion"
- Offred is aware that she's powerless in her relationship with the Commander. In the Ceremonies, she's supposed to suppress any reaction. But here, she's trying to get her body to respond as if she has an emotional or physical response.
- The entire sex scene is awkward and creates an atmosphere of deadness.
1Author Background
1.1Margaret Atwood
2Chapter Summaries
2.1Chapter 1: Night I
2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II
2.3Chapter 7: Night II
2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV
2.5Chapter 13: Nap V
2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI
2.7Chapter 18: Night VII
2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII
2.9Chapter 24: Night IX
2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X
2.11Chapter 30: Night XI
2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII
2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII
2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV
2.15Chapter 46: Night XV
2.16Historical Notes
3Dedications & Epigraph
3.1Dedications & Epigraph
4Context
4.1Setting
4.2Literary Context & Genre
4.3Political Context
4.4Historical Context
4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead
4.6Religious Context
5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques
5.1Narrative Structure
5.2Literary Techniques
6Themes & Imagery
6.2Imagery
7Characters
7.1Female Characters
7.2Male Characters
8Readings
8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale
Jump to other topics
1Author Background
1.1Margaret Atwood
2Chapter Summaries
2.1Chapter 1: Night I
2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II
2.3Chapter 7: Night II
2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV
2.5Chapter 13: Nap V
2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI
2.7Chapter 18: Night VII
2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII
2.9Chapter 24: Night IX
2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X
2.11Chapter 30: Night XI
2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII
2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII
2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV
2.15Chapter 46: Night XV
2.16Historical Notes
3Dedications & Epigraph
3.1Dedications & Epigraph
4Context
4.1Setting
4.2Literary Context & Genre
4.3Political Context
4.4Historical Context
4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead
4.6Religious Context
5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques
5.1Narrative Structure
5.2Literary Techniques
6Themes & Imagery
6.2Imagery
7Characters
7.1Female Characters
7.2Male Characters
8Readings
8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale
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