#aplit16jezebel

[mohiuddin-baig]

Jezebels:Misunderstood

I had the experience of going in front of my class as Moira and answering questions about myself and the jezebels. It felt more like testifying in front of a court, defending every action, choice, and belief. Moira is a strong character in the story, constantly fighting for her beliefs. It’s true that being a jezebel isn’t the victory she wants, but it’s something to hold on to, a step up compared to the rest of society. Moira fought the system to gain more freedom, and I think it’s safe to say that many other jezebels did as well. She and the others are still trapped, but they at least have some more control over their bodies and how they handle their life. I’d hope that it isn’t the end for them, that maybe they can use their time as a jezebels as a stepping stone towards something better. It can be that, which is why I don’t believe Moira is in the same position handmaids are. Maybe she is trapped, but at least she tried to escape the oppressive laws of the regime. 

[nataliemarsala]

The main focus on this discussion was survival. The jezebels get to live “freely” but still using their bodies to survive. The other choice was the colonies which is no way to live: counting down the days until your known death. I agree with what Khadijah had to say, that the Jezebels have the most amount of freedom over their lives. They are allowed to smoke, have sex freely and have access to different drugs. And in this “system” there is barely any choice left. The jezebels get to chose what they want to take/do that day and ultimately how to die. This gives them little control over themselves, even when it’s a not-so-happy ending.

[viraj-nakum1]

In the conversation we had in class about Jezebels in The Handmaid’s Tale, we spoke of how they sold their bodies for sex and how Moira believed she had the freedom to live as she like in return for having her body used for pleasure by men. We also compared the Jezebels to models and prostitutes in today’s world relating how they also sold out there bodies for viewing by the models and for sex by the prostitutes.

This conversation however also sparked a question in my mind. Is the promiscuity of prostitutes and the flaunting of bodies by models really a mask? Is it a mask that they put on which hides the true inner beauty of their self and covers it up by what is ethically considered disgraceful just to gain the approval of society? The ideal body image of what is considered beautiful is embedded in our minds since birth by today's multitudes of different types of media. The actresses in movies, the athlete pictures in Sports Illustrated, and even the Disney Princesses all have a general body type; young, slim, curvy sides, fair skin, and a plump bust and bum. Do those people who fit into this category, put on a mask and hide what they truly are and use what society approves of more, which in this case would be their bodies, to gain the attention and approval of people around them? All the while falsely believing, just like the Jezebels in the book, that they have control over their lives when in reality, as soon as they fall out of that category they are removed from the stage altogether, just like with the Jezebels when their snatch gets overused and is no longer able to handle sex and or deliver pleasure, they get tossed out.

[benlocklang15]

The nightclub to me was very reminiscent of Ottoman Harems where wives and concubines alike entertained the sultan or head of the house. Many times these heads would release their sexual desires on multiple women. This is just like the club. And similarly even though the concubine or Jezebel relieved the commander of their sexual frustrations they were still considered slaves.

[tristan-wright-avondale]

In class we talked about the comparison between models and strippers. This conversation was sparked by the controversy on how Jezebels fit into the category. I believe that if you look closely at the Jezebels’ attitude and the way they see themselves you can find an answer. They are happy with the small freedoms they have and accept that they are going to live while they can and die young. They let themselves be used so that they can keep those freedoms because they make them feel like they can control their own lives. However, I don’t want to make it sound like they actually have a choice. Just like the handmaids, their choice is essentially accept their oppression or die. Although I still don’t accept that models are the same as strippers, I can see how they are similar and could be put in a similar category as strippers and Jezebels. By category, I mean the group of women that let themselves be oppressed for something. The connection between Jezebels and strippers is their role in society. They are essentially the scapegoats of the female population that is somehow, “doing it wrong” like they have a choice to be oppressed any more than the rest of them. 

[mariyaaa786]

What’s A Jezebel?

A Jezebel is very similar to a prostitute because they trade sex for drugs, cigarettes, etc. even though they only have 3 to 4 years to live. A Jezebel to me doesn't have any freedom. Even though they get to do what they want the really don’t lol. They are forced to either pick but both options aren’t good things. A Jezebel likes to think that they have freedom when they really don’t because it gives them that sense of hope that they are better and the world they live in isn’t as and as it really is. 

[rudzinskir]

I was a member of the Women of Jezebel group, and when I went up to answer questions, people seemed surprised at my answers. I was a little, too. In Atwood’s book, the women in Jezebel’s are there, not because they want to be, but because they had no other choice. It was either Jezebel’s or the colonies, where they’d inevitably die. In class, I kept getting questions about why I wouldn’t just rather go to the colonies and die, and I was asking myself the same thing. 

And then I started thinking about women today, and I realized the novel isn’t that far off. When we think of prostitutes and strippers and hookers or whatever you want to call them, there is obviously a lot of negative thoughts. But I think that we should look at it from another point of view. Being a prostitute isn’t something any woman would chose for herself; it’s something they do when they are desperate. But the fact that they are willing to do those terrible things says something about them: they’re fighters. They could have given up. They could have killed themselves (or in the book, gone to the colonies), but they don’t. They don’t give up. And the reason I believe that is, is because somewhere deep down, they still have hope that things will change.  

[khadijahkhan01]

Jezebels...

It was my turn to go up in front of the class and defend myself as a Jezebel today. It was extremely hard because as I was defending myself people were thrown away by my answers because I believe that the Jezebels were the only females in the book that had the most amount of freedom. Even if that was just a little bit. I agree that the actions that were taken by them were wrong however they had something instead of nothing when compared to the other women. They had complete access to sex, drugs, and cigarettes, which gave them control of themselves. This explains why they don’t want to let go of the little freedom they got from becoming a Jezebel.