Chapter Four
Offred walks along the gravel path that bisects the back lawn, noting the damp grass, worms and the humid air after a night rain. She opens the white picket gate, passes the front lawn and reaches the driveway where a Guardian is washing the household’s expensive black Whirlwind car. The man, identified by Offred as Nick, has a tilted cap, rolled‑up sleeves, a cigarette clenched in his mouth, and a French‑leaning face; he is low‑status, without a assigned woman, and possibly an “Eye.” He whistles, winks, steps on his cigarette and walks away as Offred turns her head into the white wings of her costume.
She continues to the front gate, steps onto the red‑brick sidewalk, and recalls Aunt Lydia’s lesson about waiting. While waiting on the corner, a woman in a red shroud and white wings approaches. The woman greets her with the Handmaid’s customary “Blessed be the fruit,” and Offred replies “May the Lord open.” The woman introduces herself implicitly as Ofglen, a partner she has been walking with for two weeks; Offred notes Ofglen’s plumper build, brown eyes, red gloves, short steps, and that she is the only other Handmaid she knows at the moment.
Offred and Ofglen walk together, deliberately in twos for “protection,” and discuss the ongoing war: the rebels (referred to as Baptists) have been defeated in the Blue Hills, the weather has been good, and the commanders claim victory. Their conversation is superficial, but Offred is eager for any news, true or false.
Reaching a checkpoint, they encounter a wooden barrier marked with yellow‑black stripes and a red “Stop” hexagon. Two young Guardians in green uniforms stand by a small pedestrian gate. Offred observes their youthful, almost naïve appearance—one with a sparse moustache, the other blotchy‑faced. The Guardians salute with three fingers, inspect the Handmaids’ passes, and one enters a pillbox to punch their numbers into a “Compuchek.” The moustached Guardian leans in to look at Offred’s face, they exchange a lingering glance, and he blushes. Offred feels a small, private defiance in this moment, likening it to a secret candy hoard.
She imagines what it would be like to approach him later at night, to remove her red shroud, and to reciprocate his gaze, contemplating the power she feels in that silent exchange. After the brief interaction, the Guardians step aside, open the pedestrian gate, and Offred and Ofglen pass through. As they walk away, Offred notes the Guardians’ continued gazes, her own swaying skirt, and reflects on the perverse pleasure of having captured their attention, even as she feels a pang of shame for the way she teases their desire. The scene ends with Offred walking away from the checkpoint, aware of the men’s watchful eyes and the lingering power dynamic.