Serena Joy & Aunt Lydia

Serena Joy

Serena Joy's character seems to be a warning of what happens when fundamentalist values and theories become reality and result in suppressing those who fought for them.

On TV before Gilead

Offred's first meeting with Serena Joy reminds her that she first saw her on television. Serena Joy was preaching about traditional family values and a woman's rightful place in the home in the time before the creation of Gilead.
After Gilead was created, Serena Joy was confined to her role as a Wife.
- She has to endure the humiliation of participating in the Ceremony every month with her husband and the Handmaid.

Bitter side

Serena Joy appears bitter with her lot in life.
She takes out her frustrations on Offred and, presumably, the previous Handmaid who committed suicide when Serena confronted her about her meeting with the Commander.

Moment of warmth to Offred

The only time Serena Joy shows some warmth to Offred is when she forms the plan for her to sleep with Nick to get pregnant. She gives Offred a cigarette and promises to show her a photograph of her daughter.
This display of "false sisterhood" illustrates Serena Joy's manipulative side as she uses emotional blackmail to get what she wants: a baby.

Analysis of Serena's coldness

Serena Joy's lack of empathy for another woman who is also oppressed by the regime shows how cold and cynical she is.
This dynamic shows how the patriarchal rule is strengthened when women are placed in opposition with one another.

Aunt Lydia

Aunt Lydia is the perfect example of what happens when the principles of a totalitarian regime are endorsed in a way that is meant to seem caring (hence the name Aunts) but is actually destructive.

Gilead "within you"

Aunt Lydia talks about how Gilead is "within you" to the Handmaids and how things are so much better now for women under Gileadean control than they used to be.

"Testifying"

Aunt Lydia is the one who initiates the "Testifying" where Janine (Ofwarren) is publically shamed for being gang-raped.
Aunt Lydia leads the Salvaging at the end of the novel. She rouses the Handmaids into a murderous frenzy to commit group "Particicution".

Brainwashed and cattle rod

Aunt Lydia seems totally brainwashed into believing that this kind of society is serving the greater good for future generations ("Yours is a position of honour").
The electric cattle prod she uses to hurt the Handmaids shows the cruelty and sadism that is truly at the heart of the Gilead regime.

1Author Background

1.1Margaret Atwood

1.1.1Margaret Atwood

2Chapter Summaries

2.1Chapter 1: Night I

2.1.1Chapter 1

2.2Chapters 2-6: Shopping II

2.2.1Chapter 2

2.2.2Chapter 3

2.2.3Chapter 4

2.2.4Chapter 5

2.2.5Chapter 6

2.3Chapter 7: Night II

2.3.1Chapter 7

2.4Chapters 8-12: Waiting Room IV

2.4.1Chapter 8

2.4.2Chapter 9

2.4.3Chapter 10

2.4.4Chapter 11

2.4.5Chapter 12

2.5Chapter 13: Nap V

2.5.1Chapter 13

2.6Chapters 14-17: Household VI

2.6.1Chapter 14

2.6.2Chapter 15

2.6.3Chapter 16

2.6.4Chapter 17

2.7Chapter 18: Night VII

2.7.1Chapter 18

2.8Chapters 19-23: Birth Day VIII

2.8.1Chapter 19

2.8.2Chapter 20

2.8.3Chapter 21

2.8.4Chapter 22

2.8.5Chapter 23

2.9Chapter 24: Night IX

2.9.1Chapter 24

2.10Chapters 25-29: Soul Scrolls X

2.10.1Chapter 25

2.10.2Chapter 26

2.10.3Chapter 27

2.10.4Chapter 28

2.10.5Chapter 29

2.11Chapter 30: Night XI

2.11.1Chapter 30

2.12Chapters 31-39: Jezebel's XII

2.12.1Chapter 31

2.12.2Chapter 32

2.12.3Chapter 33

2.12.4Chapter 34

2.12.5Chapter 35

2.12.6Chapter 36

2.12.7Chapter 37

2.12.8Chapter 38

2.12.9Chapter 39

2.13Chapter 40: Night XIII

2.13.1Chapter 40

2.14Chapters 41-45: Salvaging XIV

2.14.1Chapter 41

2.14.2Chapter 42

2.14.3Chapter 43

2.14.4Chapter 44

2.14.5Chapter 45

2.15Chapter 46: Night XV

2.15.1Chapter 46

2.16Historical Notes

2.16.1Historical Notes

3Dedications & Epigraph

3.1Dedications & Epigraph

3.1.1Dedications

3.1.2Epigraph

4Context

4.1Setting

4.1.1Setting

4.2Literary Context & Genre

4.2.1The Canterbury Tales & The Scarlet Letter

4.2.2Links to Dystopian Fiction

4.3Political Context

4.3.1Berlin & Iran

4.3.2The New Right in America

4.4Historical Context

4.4.1Puritan New England

4.5Parallels: Read World & Gilead

4.5.1The Underground Femaleroad

4.5.2Children of Ham & Soul Scrolls

4.5.3Offred's Tattoo, Salvaging & Illegal Abortions

4.5.4Unwomen, Colonies & Giving Away Offred's Daughter

4.6Religious Context

4.6.1Religious Context

5Narrative Structure & Literary Techniques

5.1Narrative Structure

5.1.1Narrative Structure

5.2Literary Techniques

5.2.1Literary Techniques

5.2.2Colour Symbolism

6Themes & Imagery

6.1Themes

6.1.1Survival & Language

6.1.2The Female Body

6.2Imagery

6.2.1The Garden & Doubles

7Characters

7.1Female Characters

7.1.1Offred & Moira

7.1.2Offred's Mother, Ofglen & Ofwarren

7.1.3Serena Joy & Aunt Lydia

7.2Male Characters

7.2.1The Commander

7.2.2Nick & Luke

8Readings

8.1Readings of The Handmaid's Tale

8.1.1Eco-Criticism

8.1.2Complacency

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