This is not the case any longer. Women in a North American society have the same opportunities as men. .
Offred seems to need an influential male figure in her life; a figure of power whom she can rely on. She speaks frequently of Luke- her husband in pre-Gilead times- and seems to view him in this way, placing him on a pedestal. "Luke told me-(Pg-24,25,56) and "Luke said-(Pg-57,89) are common phrases to be found in Offred's reminiscences; and although Luke is obviously loving towards Offred, she depicts him in a way that makes him seem sexist and patronizing. He often seems to try and deliberately catch her out; in an early reference he asks Offred where the distress signal Mayday comes from. As he already knows, "It's French, [Luke] said, from M"aidez"(Pg-61) then his only point in asking Offred is to display his own superior knowledge. It is as though he gets pleasure out of being more intellectual and knowledgeable than his wife. Today's world is depicted much differently. A female is not totally dependant upon having a male role model in her life. Take myself for example; I have grown up in a family with only a female role model. Speaking for myself, I think I have become a very, strong, and independent female even without a male role model. Although, I do believe it is nice to have both mother and father figures within a household I think that you can still get along fine with one. The belief that both are necessary for one to grow up in a stable household is old-fashioned and ignorant. Everyone's situation is dependant on their environment and not set beliefs others have put forward.
With Luke out of the picture, Offred turns to Nick as her role model. A young member of the Gilead secret police, like Offred Nick is a subversive rebel and takes risks that most people would never dream of, "He begins to whistle. Then he winks"(Pg-32). Nick is amongst the few characters described in close physical detail, instantly making him appear friendlier than any of the other characters as the reader can assume a detailed mental picture of him.
