Chapter Seventeen: Night Butter, Stolen Touches, and the Commander’s Summons
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Back in her room, Offred undresses and retrieves a pat of butter she hid in her shoe after dinner. She rubs the melting butter over her face and hands, a trick she learned at the Rachel and Leah Centre (the Red Centre) to keep her skin soft. The Wives banned hand lotion because they do not want the Handmaids to look attractive. This small ritual, shared by all Handmaids, sustains a belief that they will one day be touched in love again. Greasy and already rancid-smelling, the butter is a private ceremony of hope.
Unable to sleep, Offred lies flat on her single bed, staring at the plaster eye on the ceiling. She gets up and goes to the window. Outside, a searchlight illuminates the house, but she can still see a sliver of moon. She longs for Luke, wishes to be held and told her name, wants to be valued more than her role allows. Repeating her former name to herself, she decides she wants to steal something.
She creeps into the hall and down to the sitting room. Her white nightgown makes her visible, but she enjoys the act of doing something on her own. She considers stealing a knife from the kitchen but is not ready for that. Instead, she reaches for a dried daffodil from the arrangement, planning to press it under her mattress for the next woman to find.
Suddenly, she hears a footstep behind her. The door clicks shut. A whisper tells her not to scream – it is Nick. He pulls her against him and kisses her. Both are shaking, aware of the danger. Offred is tempted but they push apart. Nick says he was coming to find her: the Commander wants to see her tomorrow. They separate slowly, pulled by opposing forces. Offred leaves the room, barely able to control herself.
Key Events
- Offred applies butter to her skin in a private ritual of hope and self-preservation.
- She reflects on the Wives’ decree against hand lotion and the Handmaids’ collective defiance.
- Offred cannot sleep; she goes to the window and sees a crescent moon, which sparks a memory of Luke.
- She decides to steal something and creeps to the sitting room, intending to take a dried daffodil.
- Nick surprises her in the dark; they embrace and kiss, sharing a dangerous moment of intimacy.
- Nick delivers the Commander’s message: Offred is to see him in his office the next day.
Character Development
- Offred: Her private butter ritual shows a stubborn grasp on hope and identity. The moonlit longing for Luke and her decision to steal reveal a desire for agency, even in small acts. The encounter with Nick stirs both desire and fear, testing her capacity for risk.
- Nick: He appears as a fellow rule-breaker, willing to endanger himself. His actions are ambiguous: is he acting for the Commander or for himself? The kiss suggests genuine attraction, yet his role as messenger keeps his loyalties uncertain.
- The Commander: Off-screen, his summons hints at a growing, mysterious interest in Offred beyond the Ceremony.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Butter as ritual of hope: The butter offsets the Wives’ attempts to dehumanize the Handmaids. It is a small, shared ceremony that strengthens the belief in a future beyond Gilead.
- Touch and denial: The scene with Nick is charged with longing for human contact. Offred’s internal conflict (wanting Luke, yet responding to Nick) highlights how Gilead starves people of physical and emotional connection.
- Surveillance and the night: The ever-present searchlight, the plaster eye on the ceiling, and the guards outside reinforce constant monitoring. The darkness of the sitting room offers a temporary blind spot, but the danger remains.
- The moon as freedom: The “wishing moon” and “sliver of ancient rock” contrasts with the “deadly hardware” of Gilead’s technology. It represents beauty and possibility that cannot be erased.
- The dried daffodil: A symbol of continuity and solidarity between Handmaids. Leaving it for the next woman mirrors the butter ritual, creating a secret chain of small rebellions.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter Seventeen deepens Offred’s inner rebellion by moving from passive endurance to active defiance (stealing, sneaking). The encounter with Nick escalates the plot: it introduces a risky alliance and sets up the Commander’s secret meetings, which will reshape Offred’s role. The butter ritual and the daffodil motif show that even in a world of rigid control, Handmaids find ways to preserve their humanity and pass it on.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Offred save and apply butter to her skin, and what does this reveal about her state of mind?
Offred saves butter to keep her skin soft because the Wives banned hand lotion. The ritual, learned at the Red Centre, helps her believe she will one day be touched in love or desire. It shows she clings to hope and maintains a sense of self despite being treated as a mere container for reproduction.
2. How does the scene with Nick in the sitting room advance the plot and develop the theme of risk?
The encounter moves the story forward by establishing a secret connection between Offred and Nick, and by delivering the Commander’s summons. The kiss is filled with mutual desire and fear; both characters risk severe punishment if discovered. This moment underscores how Gilead’s oppression makes even a brief touch into a life-or-death gamble.
3. What is the significance of the dried daffodil Offred intends to steal?
Offred plans to press the daffodil under her mattress for the next Handmaid to find, mirroring the butter ritual. The dried flower becomes a small token of solidarity and a gesture of hope across time. It represents a secret network of defiance that survives despite constant surveillance, and it gives Offred a sense of purpose and legacy in a world that denies her any lasting mark.