In the Republic of Gilead, the Mecca of misogyny, the idea that love is useless and wrong is perpetuated throughout the society. The government seeks to dehumanize its people, specifically women, in every possible way including emotion. One of Offred’s teachers in Gilead is Aunt Lydia of the Red Center, who is very passionate about these ideals. Throughout the book, Aunt Lydia is seen as the epitome of Gilead’s principles. When the topic of love arises at the Red Center, Atwood writes, “Love, Aunt Lydia says with distaste. Don’t let me catch you at it. Love is not the point” (Atwood 220). Atwood uses punctuation, diction and tone here to demonstrate how the society of Gilead views love. First, Atwood uses the italicization of the word, “Love”,
