Fear In The Handmaid's Tale

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The fear that Lydia is able to instill in other should also be mentioned. Especially with Mr. Bashwood, fear seems to be a prime motivator. The root of this fear seems to be angering Lydia. Bashwood wants to stay on her good side and wants to do whatever it takes to keep her happy. This influence is slightly ridiculous as Bashwood himself states that “she might have liked me when I was twenty!” Yet, he still feels obligated to carry out her will. Shortly after he is informed to spy on Armadale’s inherited estate, he exclaims, “She told me to go home…Why am I stopping here? He turned, and hurried on to the town – in such dread of her anger” (379). It seems almost as if Bashwood is Lydia’s pet and he is bowing down to the power she has over him which is basically rooted in her beauty. This being said, if Lydia was not so attractive to Bashwood, he would likely not be afraid of her and cater to her every whim.
Other than her physical …show more content…
If she hadn’t possessed the beauty that she had, she would not have been able to partake in many of the immoral tasks that she carried out. While beauty is not as powerful a tool as fear and manipulation, it is this beauty that Lydia Gwilt possesses that allows her to instill fear and manipulate those around her. Within this novel beauty could be considered the most powerful tool for Lydia Gwilt and she seems to use it to her best advantage. While her character and morals are both tarnished, her beauty remains. Thus, she is able to manipulate those around her and complete immoral and deceitful deeds because others do not see her as a threat, but an immaculately sculpted woman that can do no wrong based upon her looks. The tragic conclusion to the novel solidifies the character of Lydia Gwilt as a romantic anti-hero that made many mistakes, but in the end did what many readers probably believe to be the right

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