To achieve vision in this way, thisjourney into a darkness that is composed of women, a woman, who can see indarkness while he himself strains blindly forward
This represents 1) Real and true, collective female power. And 2) A foreshadowing that a woman, god knows who, but perhaps his own wife, Serena Joy knows more than he does. This may be instead Offred, who we know makes an escape by the end of the novel and sort of "wins".
Now he looks like a shoemaker in an oldfairy-tale book. Is there no end to his disguises, of benevolence
His almost constantly changing appearance, taking up all sorts of professions and roles creates the idea of the universality of men, despite different individuals, times, cultures
Theywere paintings about boredom. But maybe boredom is erotic, when women doit, for men.
This here is what signifies what is wrong with men's perceptions of women. The "long parentheses of nothing", unfilled time, is erotic of women, being devoid of life, to men. Men have always been this way.
havenot been the first then.
She then knows she is the outside woman. She is the outside woman of the outside woman. She is just one of many pawns to complete the Commander's incompleteness temporarily
"I thought you were enjoying it," he says lightly, watching me, however,with intent bright eyes. If I didn't know better I would think it was fear. "Iwish you would."
She keeps saying that she knows to see through his intentions and the lack of love that she has realised come through with the Commander. Juxtaposed with "Right now I almost like him."
"What would you like?" he says, still with that lightness, as if it's amoney transaction merely, and a minor one at that: candy, cigarettes."Besides hand lotion, you mean," I say."Besides hand lotion," he agrees."I would like..." I say. "I would like to know.
This shows the disconnect between the understanding of the severity of the situation. He is still playing with her when she is in fear of her own death, as if it is a simple and equal transaction.
Butter, he said, musing. That's very clever. Butter. He laughed.I could have slapped him.
Juxtaposition of lack of understanding, the disconnect between men and women.