The doctor, knowing (or perhaps claiming) that Commander Fred is probably sterile, selflessly offers to impregnate Offred himself, because that way she won’t eventually be blamed for “her” infertility. “It will only take a few minutes, honey,” he says, peering out from behind the curtain.
Why does the doctor ask Fred to impregnate Offred?
The doctor, knowing (or perhaps claiming) that Commander Fred is probably sterile, selflessly offers to impregnate Offred himself, because that way she won’t eventually be blamed for “her” infertility.
Is the doctor really a friend to Offred?
Except, maybe the doctor really is a friend. He tells Offred that chances are Commander Fred is sterile, even though nobody in Gilead will ever admit to a man being at fault. He’s empathizing with Offred even though she’s a handmaid, and then he offers to-gasp-help her.
Why does Serena Joy send Offred to the Doctor?
However, to hide this discovery from her masters and in an attempt to go outside, Offred claims that she’s sick and fell. Serena Joy sends Offred to the doctor. At first, we don’t get to see the doctor. He sounds and acts like a professional — he’s friendly, even, which is unusual in Gilead — but he’s hidden behind a curtain.
Does the doctor in the handmaid's tale try to help Offred?
No, he tries to help Offred by suggesting that they have sex. Gilead is so regressive that even his attempt to help Offred is extraordinarily oppressive (not to mention a major violation of every doctor’s code of conduct).
What offer does the doctor make to Offred?
The doctor offers to impregnate Offred. On this visit, though, he chatters cheerfully and then offers to help her. He says many of the Commanders are either too old to produce a child or are sterile, and he suggests that he could have sex with her and impregnate her.
Does the commander get Offred pregnant?
Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes), who uses Offred for sex, is believed to be sterile after his and wife Serena's first Handmaid didn't fall pregnant, so it seems unlikely to be him. Offred doesn't fall pregnant until she starts sleeping with the chauffeur Nick, leading some fans to suspect he might be the father.
How did June get pregnant Handmaids Tale?
At the end of season one, June discovered she was pregnant. However, fans immediately suspected the father was actually Fred's driver Nick (Max Minghella) as he and June were forced to sleep together by Fred's wife Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski).
What is the reward for Handmaids who give birth?
But they were brought back to their old district after Ofglen's attack on the Rachel and Leah Center killed 31 Handmaids and a group of Commanders. Given that a Handmaid gives birth to healthy children and doesn't get into trouble, she will be taken care of by Gilead.
Does Serena get June's baby?
As the story goes in the totalitarian society of Gilead, Offred, or as we know her best as by now — June Carter — is the one that actually gave birth to baby Holly in the final episodes of season 2, but it is Serena Joy who is crowned as the mother of the baby.
Who is the father of Mrs Waterfords baby?
But Fred is the father.” Fans of the show will have to wait until season five to see how the rest of Serena's pregnancy will go, especially when she finds out that Fred has been killed.
Is Nick the father of Offred's baby?
Nonetheless, Serena Joy is more obsessed and determined than ever to get her baby, so she takes June to Nick's house to “force” them to have sex and give her the baby she so desperately craves. June does get pregnant soon after, making it blatantly clear that Nick is the father of Nichole.
Does Commander Lawrence Get June pregnant?
June spends most of season one trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant by Commander Waterford. Out of desperation, his wife has June have sex with their driver Nick, which leads to June and Nick having a secret affair, and she does end up pregnant — by Nick.
Does Serena Joy get pregnant?
However, his wife, Serena Joy Waterford, played by Yvonne Strahovski, is completely unaware of what happened. Still in governmental custody, Serena is pregnant, in a detention cell, and waiting to Zoom with her husband, who she thinks has flown to Geneva to stand trial for his crimes.
What happens if a Handmaid can't get pregnant?
If, after the third time, they are not able to produce a living, healthy baby, they will be sent off to the Colonies to face certain death. Handmaids that become infertile or reach a certain age without having ever conceived are also sent to the Colonies, as are women who refuse to become Handmaids.
What is an Unbaby?
Unbaby, or shredder, is the term used in the Republic of Gilead to describe infants that are suffering from birth defects or physical deformities. These die shortly after birth due to their defects. They are usually taken away to be disposed of.
Why can't the Wives have babies in The Handmaid's Tale?
In The Handmaid's Tale, infertility is linked to another one of Gilead's prominent problems: pollution. As revealed in the season 1 episode "A Woman's Place," inorganic farming and radioactivity are to blame for declining fertility.
What does Offred's offer to Offred suggest?
The doctor’s offer to Offred suggests the limits of totalitarianism, and the inability of any state to control human society. Ideology may decree that Commanders can father children, but it cannot make infertile men fertile. It may outlaw the word “sterile,” but people realize sterility exists.
How old was Offred's child when she was taken from her?
The authorities in Gilead took Offred’s then-five-year-old child from her, and three years have passed since then. Offred has no mementos of her daughter. She remembers Aunt Lydia saying women should not get attached to things, and should “cultivate poverty of spirit.”.
What does Offred remember about Moira?
Offred remembers Moira throwing an “underwhore” party to sell sexy lingerie. She remembers reading stories in the papers about women who were murdered and raped, but even in the old days it seemed distant from her life and unrelated to her. Offred sits at the window, beside a cushion embroidered with the word Faith.
What song does Offred sing in her head?
Offred often sings songs in her head—“Amazing Grace ” or songs by Elvis. Most music is forbidden in Gilead, and there is little of it in the Commander’s home. Sometimes she hears Serena humming and listening to a recording of herself from the time when she was a famous gospel singer.
Why does Offred feel frightened?
Offred also feels frightened, she realizes, because she has been given a way out.
What does the Guardian do in Offred?
Every month, a Guardian accompanies Offred to a doctor, who tests her for pregnancy and disease. At the doctor’s office, Offred undresses, pulling a sheet over her body. A sheet hangs down from the ceiling, cutting off the doctor’s view of her face. The doctor is not supposed to see her face or speak to her if he can help it.
Where does Offred sit in the movie?
Offred sits at the window, beside a cushion embroidered with the word Faith. It is the only word they have given her to read, and she spends many minutes looking at it. From her window, she watches the Commander get into his car and drive away.
What does Serena say to Offred?
Serena rolls down the glass an inch and tells Offred her daughter is safe and happy before threatening her with this: “As long as my baby is safe, so is yours.”. Then she rolls up the divider and leaves Offred to suffer through the loss of her daughter, yet again.
What does Serena Joy see in Offred and Nick?
Serena Joy walks in to find their tender moment and her expression shows a mix of sadness and regret. She sees there’s a true connection between Offred and Nick, and she’s envious of their bond but also guilty for being the one who will take their baby from them.
Why does Serena Joy tell Offred not to touch the car's curtains?
Outside, Serena Joy tells Offred not to touch the car’s curtains because she doesn’t want her to see where they’re going.
What episode does Serena Joy confront Offred?
The Handmaid's Tale -- "Night" -- Episode 110 -- Serena Joy confronts Offred and the Commander. Offred struggles with a complicated, life-changing revelation. The Handmaids face a brutal decision. Offred (Elisabeth Moss) and Nick (Max Minghella), shown. (Photo by: George Kraychyk/Hulu) Photo: George Kraychyk/Hulu
Why does Serena tell the Commander to leave Offred alone?
This flippancy only infuriates Serena further, and she tells the Commander he needs to leave Offred alone because she’s pregnant, and oh, by the way, “It isn’t yours. You’re weak, and God would never allow you to pass on that weakness. You can’t father a child because you’re not worthy.”.
What does Offred hear in Gilead?
In Gilead the next morning, Offred wakes to the sound of the bell tower ringing in the distance. She hears three tolls, which means a Salvaging is set to take place. At the Salvaging, a pile of stones is dumped before the Handmaids; they’re being forced to stone someone to death during today’s ritual.
Who does Offred run into in the van?
The Guardians then lead Offred down the stairwell where they run into Serena Joy. Serena is surprised to see them and demands to know where they’re taking her. The Guardians say nothing and Offred looks at Serena Joy and Commander Waterford with a cold air of invincibility. The Guardians open the doors to the back of the van, and Offred enters, saying this: “Whether this is my end or a new beginning, I have no way of knowing. I’ve given myself over into the hands of strangers. I have no choice, it can’t be helped, so I step up into the darkness within, or else the light.”
What is Offred desperate for?
Deprived of family and friends, and living among hostile people, Offred is desperate for companionship. Her fantasies about her predecessor, even down to the freckles, are like the creation of imaginary playmates by lonely children: it fills a human need.
Do Econowives envy Offred?
They are assigned husbands, whom they have to serve. Although they are not allowed individualism, Handmaids have status as the potential saviors of Gilead through their ability to have babies, and they have nothing but free time on their hands. So Econowives envy them. But we have seen that Offred would give anything to keep busy like the Econowives. Envy and hatred between different sectors of Gilead society helps keep the regime in place.
What does Offred do when he goes to see the Commander?
When Offred goes to see the Commander that night, he seems drunk. He speaks playfully with her and gives her a skimpy outfit decorated with feathers and sequins. He wants to take her out, he claims, using an expression from pre-Gilead days; she agrees to go. She dons the costume and puts cheap makeup on her face. She wears one of Serena’s blue winter cloaks when he escorts her out of the house. Nick is waiting for them in the car, and they drive through darkened city streets. Offred hides on the floor when they pass the gateway. Offred finds herself worrying about Nick’s opinion of her. The car stops in an alley, and the Commander helps Offred out of the robe. He opens a door with a key and slips a purple tag around Offred’s wrist, instructing her to tell anyone who asks that she is an “evening rental.” As Offred enters the building, she imagines Moira calling her an idiot for going along with this.
What does Offred say about Gilead?
In Gilead, none of these conditions officially exist. Still, Offred deflates the Commander’s argument by pointing out the importance of love. She points out that such a society, while removing some uncertainty and unhappiness, leaves out the possibility of freedom.
What episode does Offred remember when Janine sat on her bed?
Offred remembers a strange episode in the Red Center when Janine sat on her bed staring off into space, speaking to an invisible customer in a restaurant where she worked before Gilead. Moira slapped Janine and shouted until Janine came back to her senses.
What does Offred think of the Prayvaganza?
In depriving her and other women of the opportunity to love, Gilead amputates their ability to feel. After the Prayvaganza, Offred thinks of how love felt and she is overcome by a wave of strong emotion. She can only cling to her memories of Luke and what loving him felt like.
What is the role of the Handmaids?
The Handmaids resemble nuns: both groups are cloistered, consecrated to a religious duty, and required to wear long garments referred to as “habits.”. But whereas nuns vow to remain celibate and serve God by ignoring their fertility and their sexual urges, Handmaids’ sole religious and social duty is to reproduce.
What do the women prayvaganzas celebrate?
Although women’s Prayvaganzas usually celebrate group weddings and men’s celebrate military victories, sometimes the Prayvaganzas celebrate Catholic nuns who convert to the state religion. When the authorities of Gilead catches Catholic nuns, they torture them.
What is a women's prayervaganza?
Women’s Prayvaganzas are weddings for the Wives’ daughters, mass ceremonies in which girls as young as fourteen get married. In a few years, the brides will be girls who do not remember life before Gilead.
