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We have seen a peek into her past in previous story lines, where it was revealed she was a family law lawyer before going on to teach at a school but my thoughts on the character go back further, to Lydia's childhood and teenage years.
I feel that Lydia was brought up in a strict religious home, maybe her mother died when she was young and was brought up by her father. Childhood was not fun and games, but dominated by the cultish religion. Lydia obviously had ambitions, to be a successful lawyer and worked hard at school to enable her to go to college, but did something happen in her teenage years?
Maybe Lydia had a crush on a married man at her law firm. Maybe she slept with this man and became pregnant as a result. The man did not want to be with her so she was left to deal with it herself. She hid the pregnancy for as long as possible but decided she could not be a single mother, who was now out of work. Lydia had a baby girl and she decided to have the baby adopted. Another heartbreaking rejection, only this time it's her rejection of the baby. This would harden any heart, make you feel like walls need to be built to protect you from more hurt and rejection. Could this baby be Janine?
We know Janine had a difficult life, she was a young mother when Gilead took control. She had a little boy called Caleb but was also pregnant again and seeking an abortion. She was working two jobs and was alone apart from her son, trying to keep the wolves from the door.
Aunt Lydia seems to be very cruel, seeing nothing wrong with hurting, maiming, verbally abusing and mentally abusing the women in her charge. She gaslights and manipulates them but although she ordered Janine to have her eye removed as punishment, she has been kinder to Janine, almost motherly towards her sometimes. When the handmaids were paraded as guests of honour at the state dinner but the damaged ones were removed from sight, Lydia was gentle and consoling towards Janine. Could Lydia know Janine is her daughter and is slightly kinder to her as a consequence? How will Janine feel if this is revealed? I can't see a great relationship developing. Janine would hate Lydia for what she has done to her, Let's not forget that Lydia ordered the other handmaids to stone her to death and is instrumental in removing children from the handmaids as well as the torture and gaslighting.
Is Janine going to be a major player in future story lines for the TV series because she finds out who her mother is? Will Janine find out her son, Caleb, was killed in a car accident? Will Janine kill Aunt Lydia or will she escape Gilead?