Aunt Lydia is a character from the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. She serves as a key figure in the oppressive regime of Gilead, where she is responsible for training and indoctrinating the Handmaids. Her role emphasizes the manipulation of women and the enforcement of strict societal roles. In the story, Aunt Lydia is portrayed as both a mentor and an enforcer of the regime's rules. She uses a mix of fear and encouragement to control the Handmaids, often quoting religious texts to justify her actions. Her character highlights the complexities of power dynamics within a totalitarian society.