A “disciplinary woman” in the context of Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a woman who enforces the oppressive rules and norms of the totalitarian society of Gilead. These women, often referred to as “Aunts,” are responsible for training and punishing the handmaids, who are fertile women forced into sexual servitude to bear children for the ruling class.
Disciplinary women play a crucial role in maintaining the patriarchal and misogynistic society of Gilead. They are tasked with ensuring that women conform to their assigned roles and that any dissent is swiftly and harshly punished. Their methods of discipline often involve physical and psychological torture, as well as the threat of death.
