The Aunts and Control

The Aunts train and discipline Handmaids using religious instruction, shame, and physical punishment. They embody one of Atwood's most disturbing insights: oppressive systems often recruit members of the oppressed group as enforcers, making resistance psychologically tangled.

Aunt Lydia genuinely believes she is helping the Handmaids by preparing them for their role. Her conviction makes her more frightening than any Commander, because it shows how control works best when it is internalized rather than imposed from outside.