The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
Chapter 16-18
Chapter 16
After the Bible reading and prayers, the Ceremony continues as usual. The rest of the household is dismissed. Serena, Offred and the Commander retreat to the bedroom. Offred lies on her back in between Serena’s legs, her head on Serena’s pubic bone. While Serena is fully clothed, Offred has her skirt pushed up and her underwear off. The two woman hold hands and Offred feels Serena’s rings dig into her fingers. The Commander proceeds to have sex with Offred in a quick, orderly and impersonal fashion, zips up and leaves the room. Serena quickly orders Offred to leave the room, instead of giving her a ten minute rest time to improve chances of getting pregnant.
Purpose:
This chapter on the Ceremony is ironic. The previous two chapters create an elaborate and glamorous detail in which gives a sense that the Ceremony is solemn. However, Offred describes the Ceremony as something comical, something which is not considered sex or rape. The Ceremony is done quickly and mechanically, where Offred grits her teeth and disconnects her mind from her body to do her duty.
Chapter 17
Once in her room, Offred removes the hidden butter from her shoe and applies it to her skin as lotion is prohibited and forbidden for the Handmaids. Offred cannot fall asleep and she gains the urge to steal something. She sneaks down to the sitting room and finds a withered daffodil. As she reaches for the daffodil, she feels a presence in the room. She hears a step and the door closing, it is Nick. Without notice, Nick kisses her, wordlessly. She longs to have sex with “a man entirely unknown”, right then, but she thinks of Luke. Offred realizes that having sex there would be too dangerous. Nick whispers to Offred that the Commander wishes to see her in his office tomorrow. As she moves away from Nick, she retreats to her room.
Chapter 18
While Offred lies in her bed, she remembers making out with Luke when she was pregnant. The baby kicking inside her womb. She imagines Luke’s body dead, his body lying in thickets where they were separated when they were trying to escape. She also imagines Luke in prison, where he is being tortured, but still alive. Lastly, she imagines Luke alive and well. He had successfully crossed the border and Offred believes that there will be a message from him saying that he would help her escape. She believes in all of these scenarios simultaneously so that she can believe them all, bracing herself for whatever the truth may be.
Purpose:
This chapter gives emphasis to Offred’s need for ‘someone’. To long for “be with someone”. The idea that Offred believes in three different scenarios of Luke’s whereabouts simultaneously shows that she continues to have ‘FAITH’ that he is alive. Whatever troubles she may face, the idea that he may still be alive and probably looking for her helps Offred to face the harshness of this reality. This chapter helps reinforce the idea that some part of Offred is still “in Hope”.