Early in the story we learn that in Gilead, the Handmaid’s job is to reproduce and that sex is merely the way in which society will populate; sex loses its relationship with love, romance, and intimacy to become a forced impersonal act between a Commander and a Handmaid.
In chapter 39, the Commander gets a room with Offred in hopes of sparking some romance, but all goes wrong. In this chapter, Atwood shows the reader that the Gilead society gives no meaning to sex; instead it is given a function. Yet, the Commander resists and longs for an intimate relationship with Offred as he “stroke(s)” (254) her body and unbuttons his clothes. Offred becomes somewhat resistant, she cannot be intimate with a man she is forced to have sex with, instead she wishes to play Scrabble or for Serena to be present; the encounter arises no passion in Offred, so much that she has a thought of “fak[ing] it” (254) so that it would all be over soon. This secret meeting with the Commander shows the strong element of force in performing sex where no choice is given and these handmaids are obliged to give up and give in to their Commanders. Offred cannot feel a strong sexual desire and passion for someone that she is forced to be with; sex with the Commander is a duty to her, a “Ceremony” she must undergo in order to fulfill her status requirement in the Gilead society. For Offred, passion and romance comes with choice, this is why she was so passionate during her first kiss with Nick in one of the earlier chapters; she wanted to kiss him, she even wanted to have sex with him at that very moment.
The story takes a shift when it comes to the encounter between Offred and Nick in chapter 40. Here we see a different side of the meaning of sex and romance, between Offred and Nick there is apparent passion since no one is being forced to have sex, it is ultimately Offred’s choice. Therefore, passion and romance are instruments of choice; one can choose to feel a certain way toward a being without force because force only creates fake feelings and relationships. The reader can automatically see through Offred’s word choice that she enjoys Nick’s company best through the two versions she tells the reader: the first filled with lust and passion, and the second a bit colder but still pleasurable for her. Although she doesn’t give a concrete story of how her night with Nick went, the reader can see it went better than with the Commander; they “both smile[d]” (262) and he held her “for comfort” (262). Offred enjoys this experience with Nick and this is why she then begins to feel like she has betrayed Luke because for once, sex was meaningful and pleasurable for her (at least since Gilead came to existence). Luke was her love, but she now sees that she can feel lovely feelings for Nick as well, ultimately because he is not forcing himself upon her in an impersonal manner like the Commander does while performing the Ceremonies.
Although they are both enjoying the night, Nick proceeds to say “No romance” (262) and this is only a brutal awakening to what they are not allowed to feel because Gilead prohibits it. No romance, just sex to reproduce; Gilead has made it clear that love is nonexistent and that women are only pieces of property used to fulfill functions. This story continues to surprise me, Atwood has created a society in which women are treated worse than animals…they become objects under man’s reign.
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