I think that the relationship between Offred and the Commander is very odd. On one hand, it seems very kind of him to be reaching out to Offred and helping her get some peace of mind. On the other hand, he could be using Offred for some ulterior motive that would benefit himself (i.e. the "kiss me like you mean it" comment). On a completely different hand he could be an Eye waiting to turn her in for betraying Gilead. It seems pretty risky to have Offred sacrifice her well-being all for a game of Scrabble.
What do you think the Commander's real reasoning is behind this act? Is Offred deserving anything that may come her way as a result of this? Or, is the Commander to blame?
This relationship is very curious and striking indeed. Offred is powerless, so she doesn't have much choice but to go along with him. Yet Offred and the Commander are also human. Their odd relationship is a human one -- they can be human beings to each other when they aren't stuck in their artificial power dynamic. Ultimately, however, the power dynamic looms large.
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