7.2.2
Nick & Luke
Nick and Luke
Nick and Luke
Nick acts as a brief distraction for Offred. Luke only appears in Offred's fragmented memories of her past.
Nick - distraction & go-between
Nick - distraction & go-between
- Nick acts as a brief distraction for Offred with his furtive glances, whistles and subtle flirtations.
- His behaviour shows that even the most oppressive of regimes cannot destroy natural human emotions, like lust and desire.
- Nick's function then develops as he becomes the go-between for the Commander and Offred. He initiates their secret meetings with the subtle way he wears his hat each day.
Nick - confidant and saviour
Nick - confidant and saviour
- Nick is also a trusted confidant of the Commander.
- He drives the Commander and Offred to Jezebel's and picks them up without detection.
- As the novel progresses, Offred becomes involved sexually with Nick. She shares her real name and life story with him, even though he does not share any details with her.
- Eventually, Nick becomes Offred's "apparent" saviour. He storms in dressed as an Eye, taking her (we can only assume) away to safety, under the guise of her being arrested.
Luke - memories and parallels
Luke - memories and parallels
- Offred recounts:
- memories of her liaisons with Luke whilst he was still married in hotel rooms
- times when she was pregnant and in bed with him
- the witty conversations between Luke, her husband, and her feminist mother.
- When Offred starts sleeping with Nick, her memories of intimate moments with Luke parallel with moments with Nick. This shows the guilt she feels for giving in to her sexual desires.
Luke - tensions
Luke - tensions
- Offred's memories of being forced out of her workplace show the tensions in the marriage. Luke shows a patriarchal attitude towards Offred's newfound deprived status.
- Neither the reader nor Offred finds out if Luke survived and escaped, or was captured or even killed. This is what keeps Offred's hope alive in the novel but also increases her suffering too.
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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