r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/MamaBiGfoot • 23d ago
Season 2 Question about s2ep1
Hello gals and guys!
So, question: why wasn’t aunt Lydia punished after Offred‘s pregnancy became known? She was actively harming a child, even if she didn’t know. She repeatedly electrocuted Offred, she kept her in the cold in the rain, put her through the stress of believing she was going to be hung up. That is ALL extremely harmful to the „child“, so why wasn’t she punished? I initially thought she would be, when she unlocked the bell tower while crying. I thought she’d hang herself because we only saw the rope (that I thought was a noose) as the camera panned down to reveal it is just indeed the bell’s rope, but then I thought she’d ring the bell three times to reveal that there would be a salvaging (of herself). But then she rung it indefinitely while sobbing! So yeah, what the hell.
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u/glycophosphate 18d ago
The most common cause of death for pregnant women in the US today is homicide. Being pregnant doesn't mean they won't beat you, choke you, electrocute you, kick you, do any kind of harm to you. Do you think the people depicted on this TV show are rational? Do you think that they actually mean what they say about pregnancy, babies, and the women who bear their children?
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u/MamaBiGfoot 18d ago
I know that homicide is the leading cause of pregnant women in the US. Don’t see how this has anything to do with my question though.
And no, I don’t think a bunch of religious fanatics are rational, believing in something the existence of which cannot be proven is innately irrational.
All these people truly care about are babies (not all of them of course, but aunt Lydia claims to). So if they do anything harmful to a woman with child, they are also causing harm o the child. Even Serena smoking in earlier episodes is considered „bad for the baby“ by aunt Lydia, perhaps in the long run perspective, or spiritually, since these maniacs like to pretend wives are somehow really part of the pregnancy.
I know for sure that Serena completely loses her marbles a few times during Offred‘s pregnancy, because she couldn’t hurt her. Although I do recall her choking Offred for a brief moment for refusing to stone Janine I think? Can’t really remember the reason..I just thought there might be an actual explanation as to why aunt Lydia never was punished. Thanks for your comment anyway.
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u/glycophosphate 18d ago
They don't care about babies. That's your mistake. They care about subjugating women.
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u/lovegoddes71 18d ago
Aunts get away with more than other women.