In this section we were introduced to the concept of the “Jezebels.” The Commander instructed Offred to dress up in a gaudy outfit with makeup in order to come with him to a secret club. The “club” is actually a hotel where Gilead prostitutes known as Jezebels reside. It seems like even in the harsh Gilead society there is leeway for accepting prostitutes as a means of pleasing the Commanders. It seems strange to me that a society that preaches such extreme oppression of women’s rights in the name of religion would allow this. The women that become Jezebels seem to do so as an alternative to being sent to the Colonies or being executed.
In this section we also learn the fate of Offred’s old friend Moira. After her escape attempt from the Red Center she was recaptured and faced with the choice I mentioned above. In this case, Moira chose being a Jezebel to the radioactive death that the Colonies present. I found it interesting that Moira said the Jezebels get 3-4 years to live. I wonder why this is. This section interested me though because it showed that despite the harsh rules of Gilead these women were presented with an option that seemingly grants them some autonomy over their bodies.
The last part of this section showed the Commander trying to enjoy “real” sex with Offred but she does not enjoy it. She forces herself to fake it and act like she was enjoying it. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me because how could she ever shake the image of the Commander as nothing more than her “boss.” The whole scene is just strange to me because the Commander wants more out of Offred than she is willing to give and it makes me kind of uncomfortable at times.
In response to your point, this society that inflicts extreme oppression on women does not allow this “club.” It exists in secrecy which demonstrates that the elite can find ways to mitigate the strict restrictions the Gilead imposes. Conversely, the Jezebels reside on the other end of the power imbalance as they must either submit themselves to this lifestyle or live a life in the Colonies.
It is interesting that the Jezebels seem to have a better situation than the Handmaid’s. As sex workers, at least they have some kind of autonomy and can choose what they do with their bodies to some degree.
I think a key point as to how the club gets “allowed” is that the Gilead society is less about oppressing women and more about benefiting men. The way they think about creating rules and regulation doesn’t stem from “how can we put women down?” but rather “how can we manipulate their purpose to best benefit men?” Because having prostitutes (in this case, Jezebels) is something that “benefits” men (as the Commander tells us “men need variety”), that is the reason they are allowed to stay.