Why did Aunt Lydia cry when ringing the bell?

After publicly beating Janine, Lydia excuses herself from the company of the commanders, their wives and all the other witnesses in attendance. Alone in a quiet corner of the Putnam household, Lydia cries to herself, overwhelmed with the enormity of her own actions.

Why did Aunt Lydia cry after beating Janine?

While Janine attempts to plead her case to the Putnams, Aunt Lydia loses control. She winds up beating Janine in a horrific show of weakness that winds up making her look worse. “She's frightened for the first time in her life. She's reactive, which in the past she prided herself on, 'No no, do not act out of emotion.

Is Aunt Lydia a gender traitor?

Aunt Lydia is a "gender traitor."

In the eighth episode of season 8, we saw Aunt Lydia as Miss Clements, a divorced teacher who didn't have much luck with men. After watching the makeup scene with Noelle, however, many Reddit users suspect that the strict, cruel Aunt is actually suppressing her sexuality.

What was Aunt Lydia's backstory?

As it turns out, Aunt Lydia was once an elementary school teacher with a background in family law. This Lydia wore her hair down, and was once married to a man. Even in this era, however, Lydia had some pretty judgmental morals, especially in terms of religion and how a "real" mother should act.

What does 3 bells mean in Handmaids tale?

Three bells, that is a death knell in The Handmaid's Tale (Channel 4). There is to be an execution today, or a “salvaging”, as they call it in Gilead. The handmaids gather in the snow, and kneel when instructed to by Aunt Lydia (so good by Ann Dowd).

Aunt Lydia's Handmaid's Tale Backstory Explained

What is an Unbaby?

Unbaby, or shredder, is the term used in the Republic of Gilead to describe infants that are suffering from birth defects or physical deformities. These die shortly after birth due to their defects. They are usually taken away to be disposed of.

Why do they say under his eye?

“Under His eye”: How Handmaids formally say goodbye to each other in person. By extension, the phrase suggests that someone—a Guardian, a Commander, a fellow Handmaid, God—is always watching.

Can a handmaid become a wife?

Wives are usually married to high ranking men in Gilead, such as Commanders, Angels and Eyes. Being a Wife is regarded as a high honor in Gilead. Only women perceived as being 'pure' and moral are given the 'privilege' of marrying. (Handmaids, for example, could never be Wives, due to their controversial nature).

Why did Lydia report Noelle?

An ashamed and embarrassed Lydia smashed her mirror, crying to herself. She decided to report Noelle to the authorities, citing Ryan's unhealthy diet and his unwashed clothes. She also voiced her disapproval over Noelle's dating life, and the fact that she was not religious.

Why are the Handmaids in DC silenced?

Miller revealed that the rings were an actual voluntary experience in D.C., at least at first. The handmaids decided to take a pledge of silence and put the rings in themselves. “That's how these things start, they're voluntary, then they're encouraged, then they're required,” Miller said.

What does May the Lord open mean?

“May the Lord open”: The classic response to “blessed be the fruit.” Again, it suggests that they're praying for God to bring fertility to Handmaids. “Under His Eye”: Another Biblical reference, intended for saying hello or goodbye.

How old is Lydia Dracula?

This gives an exact calculation that she is 1240 years old as of that episode.

Does June get Hannah out?

The audience received this gift at just the right time but one question remains: Will June ever truly find peace? "Not until she gets Hannah out of Gilead and home to her father," said Moss, who directed three of the episodes this season, in a recent interview.

What was wrong with Angela in Handmaids Tale?

Baby Angela's illness is a metaphor for the sickness in Gilead that stems from separating baby from its mother. It's not a real medical condition but a nice allegorical one.

What is wrong with Janine in Handmaids tale?

At The Red Center

Aunt Lydia explains that Janine brought the rape upon herself and the other Handmaids are made to shame Janine. Janine cries in the night and suffers a complete psychological breakdown, believing she is living her old life as a waitress and asking imagined customers for their orders.

Did Aunt Lydia take Janines eye?

Aunt Lydia reinforced Gilead's misogynistic statements and punished the women to ensure they became obedient Handmaids. As well as electric shocking women with her cattle prod, she removed Janine Lindo's (Madeline Brewer) eye and cut out Ofglen's (Tattiawna Jones) tongue as punishment.

What was written on the wall when Fred was hung?

In a brief flash, Fred's headless body is shown hanging from a wall — like so many Gilead victims at his hand — with the key Handmaid's Tale phrase written in blood below him: “Nolite te bastardes carburondorum.” His ring finger was also mailed to his pregnant wife, Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski).

Does Aunt Lydia love June?

Below, Dowd speaks to ELLE.com about the ways Lydia is starting to question her devotion to Gilead, her complex and deep love for both June and Janine, and her fantasy of a scene in which Lydia gives Lawrence a verbal smackdown.

Do Nick and June end up together?

June fell pregnant with Nick's child, Nichole, and he did his best to help her get out of Gilead. The pair have been separated as Nick was made a Commander and sent to the front line in Chicago while June was on the run after helping a number of children and Marthas get to Canada.

What are the Unwomen digging up?

Emily and her fellow "unwomen" are supposedly removing the Colonies' radioactive soil so that Gilead can plant crops in the area — the idea is that removing pollution will help solve the fertility crisis — but their labor is just as much a solution as it is a political tool.

Why can't Serena get pregnant?

Serena assumed Fred was infertile and orchestrated a sexual encounter between June and Nick. This resulted in June's pregnancy with Nichole. (This act is what ultimately got her arrested.) It was also previously implied Serena couldn't get pregnant because of a gunshot wound she suffered before the Gilead coup.

Why do the Wives pretend to give birth?

A 2013 review in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology explained that pseudocyesis might be caused by an overactive sympathetic system, dysfunctional central nervous system, and decreased regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which plays a key role in pregnancy.

What does Blessed be the fruit mean?

In Margaret Atwood's „The Handmaid's Tale“, „Blessed be the Fruit“ is a form of greeting between the people of the Republic of Gilead. This encourages fertility in a society where women with healthy reproductive system must produce children for the ruling class of men „Commanders“.

Why do people say blessed be the fruit?

Blessed Be The Fruit: This is essentially 'hello' in Gilead speak, and it's usually met with the response “May The Lord Open” (see below). Alongside being a greeting, it's also meant to encourage fertility – aka, that a Handmaid will be 'blessed' with the 'fruit' of a child.

Why do Handmaids wear bonnets?

They're meant to act essentially like blinders would on a horse, it's supposed to shield the handmaids from view and prevent them from seeing what's around them as well. But the bonnets themselves have apparently been a bit of an annoyance to the production.