“They cannot replace each other. Nick for Luke or Luke for Nick” (192). On a subconscious level, she has replaced Nick with Luke, and as the romance becomes more heated, Offred becomes more reckless. Here Atwood is commentating on the mechanism of romance as a tool of control. Society sees romance as the most desirable good for women, and that the ultimate end goal is the transfer of authority over the women from their fathers into their husbands. Once they are under the authority of their husbands, their goal is to have children. This does not change when the Gilead Republic replaces the United States. When Offred falls in love with Nick, her desires to die go away. “I would like to be ignorant” then is a rational subconscious plea on her part, because ignorance is a form of
“They cannot replace each other. Nick for Luke or Luke for Nick” (192). On a subconscious level, she has replaced Nick with Luke, and as the romance becomes more heated, Offred becomes more reckless. Here Atwood is commentating on the mechanism of romance as a tool of control. Society sees romance as the most desirable good for women, and that the ultimate end goal is the transfer of authority over the women from their fathers into their husbands. Once they are under the authority of their husbands, their goal is to have children. This does not change when the Gilead Republic replaces the United States. When Offred falls in love with Nick, her desires to die go away. “I would like to be ignorant” then is a rational subconscious plea on her part, because ignorance is a form of