The totalitarian regime of Gilead in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ aims to push women into servitude. It’s not just men who are the enforcers of this patriarchal society based on their warped view of Christianity. There are many women who supported and advocated for the formation of this Republic for the “greater good” as reproduction rates depleted. They helped build the handmaid system and ensured the implementation of its brutal laws. A frightening leader of this machinery is Aunt Lydia.
The Bible-loving Lydia rules the Red Centre like a tyrant, where women of childbearing age are stripped of every scrap of identity, autonomy, and liberty. They emerge out of this hellhole in a red garb from head to toe, symbolising their fertility. These handmaids are merely vessels whose purpose is to carry the children of the rich and powerful Commanders of Gilead. For years, Aunt Lydia employed cruel tactics and punishments to discipline the women. They suffer, they lose their minds, voice, and even body parts. Yet, Lydia remains unwavering in her beliefs about serving God. Eventually, however, she loses faith in Gilead and plans to dismantle it from within. These events take place in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ sequel, ‘The Testaments.’
Aunt Lydia Becomes A Mole To Destroy Gilead In ‘The Testaments’
If you thought the misogynist Commanders, guards, and Eyes of Gilead were the villains of Gilead, think again about how the Aunts betrayed women. Author Margaret Atwood’s chilling dystopia in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is about an oppressive system in the name of religion.
Aunt Lydia believes in her position as an authoritarian, someone who helps control women and bring order in the traditional sense. She isn’t against using violence and justifies her actions by thinking she is protecting women and the world at large. She is the victim of her own mental manipulation.
Related: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: What Did June Do Before Gilead Forced Her To Become Offred?
So once she sees Gilead failing the girls she trained so dedicatedly, albeit mercilessly, she turns on the very system by joining the resistance group, Mayday. This unfolds in the novel’s sequel, ‘The Testaments.’ Aunt Lydia reflects on her devotion to Gilead’s ideals and writes a new book about its breakdown. She criticizes the corruption of the government and decides to use her influence to right the wrongs.
The Downfall Of Gilead
In her endeavour, Aunt Lydia recruits June’s daughters – Hannah and Nichole, who were christened Agnes and Daisy, respectively, in Gilead. This trinity brings about a revolution on a large scale.
The women expose the secrets that kept the wheels of Gilead running. The Canadian media plays its part in popularising their efforts by bringing the darkest truths of the regime to light. There is no sympathy for the Commanders, no refuge for the Sons Of Jacob group who weaponised dropping fertility rates to subjugate women, yet continued with their own pleasures, feeling all too powerful. Lydia’s mission is to shake the foundation of Gilead, and she goes at it with the same ferocity as she did while establishing its strict structure.
The TV adaptation of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is already building up to this narrative. Lydia finds former handmaid Janine at Jezebel’s. She can’t fathom how Gilead forced a mother (a pure being, the highest status for a woman) into sex work. Tired of all the lies, her transformation begins.
‘The Testaments’ series will have a time jump from the final season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ Season 6 will wrap up June’s storyline, and the sequel will bring forth the collapse of Gilead.
Aunt Lydia’s Life Before Gilead Was Formed In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
When we were thrust into the dystopian society of Gilead, whether through the pages or on the screen, it was hard to imagine its formation. What motivated people to give in to this rigid system? The onus was especially on the women of Gilead, since they were kept under the thumb of its barbaric leaders. Aunt Lydia, a protector of this new America, has a shocking backstory.
She was once an elementary school teacher named Lydia Clements. In her life before Gilead, she studied family law. It’s ironic how she takes monstrous measures to build families in Gilead by forcing monthly “ceremonies” on handmaids where they get sexually assaulted by their Commanders just to get pregnant.
Before the new world order, Lydia was divorced and never had children. If you can believe it, she was very passionate about her career. All that came crashing down when her crush on her widower boss, Mr. Thorne, led to a feeling of shame. They made out, and the man refused to take things further. Lydia broke down and even punished her young friend Noelle, who had encouraged her to pursue her boss. In her anger, Lydia deemed Noelle an unfit single mother and used the law to take her son away. Yeah, she was always judgmental, always harsh!
In case you missed it: 5 Shows To Watch If You Like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
Lydia then decided to impart her wisdom to little kids so that they would grow up with the right morals. Once Gilead became a reality, she let her stern principles manifest into something borderline evil. The woman believed that infusing the teachings of the Old Testament could restore a broken world. She wanted to handcraft “real” women. And that’s how she ended up running the Red Centre for handmaids.
Her journey is that of a complex antagonist, but her ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ story comes full circle with ‘The Testaments.’
