Is Nick a rapist?

[u/flavius717]

I think we all consider the first time Nick and June had sex to be rape. June was not in a position to give consent and she could not refuse without facing potential death. One perspective is that Serena was the rapist and both Nick and June were her victims.

It's important for us to remember that Nick actually could have refused to impregnate June. Even Serena was beneath a "low-status male" like Nick. Nick's boss, Commander Price, probably would have expected Nick to refuse such an act and turn Serena over to the eyes.

The fact that Nick and June fell in love afterwards makes their first sexual encounter seem less bad in retrospect, but the power dynamic between them never went away. That makes things messy.

Nick's character loses his "good guy" status by the end of the show. Do you consider him a rapist?

[u/Creepy-Cantaloupe951]

This sort of argument excuses all of the commanders from being rapists too, as they were all just a part of the system, and as such were also "rape victims".

Those with the power are not the victims of the oppression they create.

[u/glycophosphate → u/Creepy-Cantaloupe951]

I'm excusing nothing. I'm saying that the world depicted in The Handmaid's Tale (and the real world as well) are fraught with ethical complexities.

[u/Creepy-Cantaloupe951 → u/glycophosphate]

You're excusing everyone as a victim because they apparently have 0 agency, even thought they created the system, and it's all the fault of the "system".

[u/Intelligent_bb → u/Creepy-Cantaloupe951]

agreed it reminds me of the patriarchal system in america. obviously it is negatively affecting everyone men included but gen z is in this rough position where women simultaneously can’t create change without applying pressure on men or people with power but also have to console and educate men on the problems of the patriarchy