Nick & Luke

English Lit: Edexcel A Level The Handmaid's Tale, topic 7.2.2

Nick and Luke

Nick acts as a brief distraction for Offred. Luke only appears in Offred's fragmented memories of her past.

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 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.

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.

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.