I always thought that a relationship between Nick and Offred would occur. It seemed so obvious that Atwood juxtaposes Offred’s relationship to Nick with Offred’s relationship with the Commander. I always thought that Offred feels something closer to love with Nick, while the Commander is simply her vessel into the previous world because she needs memories of the older world to survive. During the first time Nick and Offred have sex, Offred says “To cover up the sounds, which I am ashamed of making” (263). On the other hand, when Offred is alone with the Commander, she commands herself to “Fake it…Bestir yourself. Move your flesh around, breathe audibly” (255). Clearly, the physical aspect of Offred’s relationship with the Commander is not as fulfilling as the aspect is with Nick. Such a disparity between the same acts with different men arises from the presence of love. With Nick, she feels as if her act is shameful because it “is a betrayal” to Luke (263). She is started to fall in love with Nick, and the enjoyable sex with him simply confirms that love. In addition, Offred has sex with Nick in the section labeled “Night,” and night is the time of Offred’s freedom. However, she doesn’t feel like she is betraying Luke with the Commander because there aren’t any feelings of love involved in that relationship. Offred partly continues the relationship because the Commander has real power over her. She also needs the connection to the old world that the Commander gives her. However, sexually and spiritually, Offred is simply indifferent to the Commander as she “lies there like a dead bird” in the hotel room with him (225).

In addition, the flower imagery in this part is still ever-present. The most distinctive reference to flowers occurs with a reference to dandelions. Offred states, “Not a dandelion in sight here, the lawns are picked clean. I long for one, just one” (212). The choice of dandelion is very significant. First, dandelions are wild flowers that are very free, and their spread their seeds to a variety of places. Since there are no longer in Gilead, it seems has if there is no longer any freedom, and seeds aren’t spread to a variety of places. Instead, men and women alike must only give their seeds to the people that are assigned to them. Thus, the removal of the dandelions signals the removal of freedom. In addition, dandelions are considered weeds. As a result, the lack of dandelions shows that Gilead seeks to remove the weeds from there society.

Finally, I also want to consider the ending of The Handmaid’s Tale, which is pretty ambiguous and pretty frustrating. At the end, we don’t know whether or not Offred goes into the “darkness” or in the “light.” At first, I, like my Lit Circle members, believed that Offred would forever remain in darkness because she spiritually died in Gilead especially after Moira, her symbol for hope, eventually submits to the new society. Offred even says that Moira is frightening her. Throughout the whole novel, Offred alludes to Moira, and it seems that she is a beacon for strength, but the loss of strength proves to be frightening in the end. But then, I just have started to consider why Atwood would even give the possible of light or hope if there isn’t any in the first place. Perhaps, Offred’s encounters with Nick and secret conversations with Ofglen represent the renewal of life after Offred has been “freezing to death.” Maybe, Offred’s rebellion leads her to bigger and better things, and the light is finally within reach for her. I really want the light to be there for her.