Journal Five

Journal Five

I am surprised by the Commander's interest in creating and maintaining a relationship with Offred. Why does the Commander desire to create an emotional connection with Offred?


It appears that while he has sexual desire for her, he also desires an emotional connection with her. It is ironic that this is his desire. Gilead was supposedly created for the protection of women from the souly carnal nature of the modern day man. However, as illustrated by the Commander, it appears that Gilead has actually taken away the possibility of a man's emotion in every way even in the matter of a relationship with a woman. The men in Gilead are allowed to exploit the bodies of women still in Gilead. The excuse of protection then becomes invalid. And more complicated, it appears that sex is not the soul desire of these men anyway. Atwood suggests that humans desire love. It is society, any society, that steals away that desire. Love is often sexual, but love can mean so much more. Offred symbolizes that kind of love. Human love. Romance. 


I am unsure why the Handmaids switch households. Why is that necessary?


It occurs to me that the handmaids are forced to switch homes in order to prevent them from formulating relationships with the men they are assigned to. With the nature of their work, a deeper attraction between each handmaid and the men they work for seems unavoidable.


It seems strange to me that the wives are present for the sexual interaction between a man and his handmaid. Why?


Again, their presence deters both the man and the handmaid from developing a relationship beyond business. However, it seems strange that a wife would be willing to be so physically present in the act of her husband having intercourse with another woman. 


Perhaps Atwood most strongly suggests that relationships create the strength of the soul and therefore are the basis of human existence. She reveals a necessity for story and context that is most strongly achieved by interaction with others. Similarly, Atwood reveals the importance of the relationship between mind and body. Offred, a woman unaware of her own body, becomes disconnected and inhuman.