Margaret Atwood provides an example in her novel about the double bind of women: the virgin and the whore. The Republic of Gilead splits the women into two groups: virgins (sexless Wives and the Marthas) and the whores (the Handmaids who are forced to have sex to give children to Commanders). Once again women are faced with the double bind. You either are holy and can't produce offspring or you are moved around until you pop a baby out of your uterus. In both cases, sexuality is restricted or controlled or both. In Gilead, there is no gray area between a virgin and a whore. It's one way or another. The Commander tells Offred that men need sexual variety because "nature demands...procreational strategy". Guess it's always been survival of the fittest and maybe that's how it will always be.
There were interesting and almost juxtaposing sexual encounters that Offred had with Nick and with the Commander. When Offred was with the Commander, there was no pleasure or passion. Offred had to "fake it". Atwood seems to make a distinction between sex that is forced and sex that is by choice in women. The sexual encounter with the Commander was disappointing however the Commander still wants romance and passion with Offred. This suggests that passion is a form and symbol of freedom and free will. Since Gilead does not offer "free sex", Offred does not experience any romance or passion with the Commander. Her encounter with Nick was different. With Nick, Offred was free and felt pleasure during their encounter. She was acting on free will and had a sense of desire. Ironically, Nick says he wants "no romance" with Offred, a bitter reminder of what the two cannot share. Atwood makes some strong points but they are and were relevant in the past, present, and future.
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