How does the lifestyle led by Serena joy allow Offred to be other woman?
‘The difficulty was the Wife as always.’
Serena is the Commander's wife, and Offred becomes the 'chosen' mistress for her husband. Serena is unhappy in her marriage, and she regrets her support of the Gilead society. In 'giving' Offred her husband, Serena attempts to fulfill her own desires. She wants to raise a child, and if Offred were to become pregnant she be able to relaize this dream. This is how Offred is 'allowed' to be the other woman.
Offred, on the other hand, becomes complacent after her affair with Nick begins, and her desire to escape begins to dissipate. Offred makes the statement, "The Commander and I have an arrangement. It's not the first such arrangement in history, though the shape its taken is not the usual one.... The difficulty is the wife, as always." (Page 162)
In this quote we can see that Offred isn't unhappy with the arrangement. In fact, she's quite happy with it, the only downside being that it might be perfect if not for the 'difficuly' of his wife.
The Handmaid's Tale
