while he himself puts them on, like a sock over a foot, onto the stub of himself, his extra, sensitive thumb, his tentacle, his delicate, stalked slug's eye, which extrudes, expands, winces, and shrivels back into himself when touched wrongly, grows big again, bulging a little at the tip, traveling forward as if along a leaf, into them, avid for vision.
In this vivid imagery from "The Handmaid's Tale," the character demonstrates a unique and almost visceral interaction with his own body. He skillfully puts on artificial appendages, much like slipping on socks, to compensate for his loss. These replacements highlight his sensitivity and the complexities of his identity, as he embodies both vulnerability and adaptation in a world that can be harshly dehumanizing.
The description of his sensitive thumb and slug-like eye captures the struggle between desire and fear, showcasing the need to connect yet the anxiety that comes with it. As these features react to stimuli, they illustrate the character's profound yearning for perception and understanding, emphasizing the human struggle for agency and clarity amid chaos.
