Story of O

Following the instructions of Sir Stephen, O starts seducing Jacqueline both by giving her gifts and by providing her with “evidence […] of the desire she aroused” (169). Through these means, O gets Jacqueline to allow O to kiss her. However, Jacqueline remains evasive and coy and at first does not allow things to go beyond kissing. As such, René agrees to help O with Jacqueline’s seduction. A plan is formulated one evening when, after going to a bar, Jacqueline invites O back to her apartment, which O finds to be dirty and messy and shared by Jacqueline with her grandmother, aunt, and mother. After telling René about Jacqueline’s living situation, René suggests that O invite Jacqueline to live with her. Jacqueline agrees to O’s offer when asked, wanting to escape from her relatives, whom she finds infuriating.

O explains how Jaqueline had male lovers before but never lived with them because of fear of the social disapproval this would invite. Yet, reflects O, Jacqueline could live with O as her lover without anyone suspecting, since she was a woman and a work colleague. O is nonetheless conflicted about seducing Jacqueline for the purpose of getting her to Roissy.