Aunt Vidala Character Analysis

Aunt Vidala is the second most powerful Aunt in Gilead, one of the Founders, and Lydia’s chief rival among them. Unlike Judd, who has a complex relationship with Lydia, Vidala is purely antagonistic towards her. Although the other Founding Aunts were arrested and tortured into cooperating with the Sons of Jacob to build Gilead, Vidala was an early and voluntary convert. She is militaristic, violent, and enjoys instilling fear into even very young girls (such as Agnes and Becka) about the evils of sexuality and the wicked potential of their female bodies. Vidala is also a noted sadist, and she takes disturbing pleasure in torturing interrogation subjects. Throughout the story, Vidala plots to discredit Lydia and reveal whatever she is hiding, hoping to take more power for herself. However, Lydia uses this plot to turn Aunt Elizabeth against Vidala by painting her as a mutual threat to both Lydia and Elizabeth. When Vidala tries to stop Agnes and Nicole’s escape, Nicole punches her in the chest hard enough to stop her heart and put her into a brief coma. When Vidala begins to awake, Lydia knows that she has discovered Lydia’s plot, so Lydia convinces Aunt Elizabeth to murder Vidala, smothering her with a pillow while she rests.