The Abusive Patriarch and Patriarchal Family

From Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

Patriarchy Pa

triar

chySocial

System where the father is the supreme authority W

hat d

oes h

e Co

ntro

l?Holds authority over women, children and property

From

a Fe

min

ist v

iewUnjust

social system, oppressive to women

Wuthering Heights Moors

The Male Characters

Mr. Earnshaw

Heathcliff Edgar Linton

Hindley Earnshaw

Mr. Earnshaw

Brings back a child from Liverpool, expects Mrs.

Earnshaw to treat the child like her

own

“… Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it

out of doors: she did fly up asking,

asking how he could fashion to bring that gypsy

brat into the house…”

Mrs. Earnshaw: Clearly Unhappy

Mr. Earnshaw – head of the

house. None can object to his

decree

Heathcliff

Abusive Patriarch

Isolates Cathy after

marriage to Linton

Imprisons Cathy and

Nelly

Treatment of Isabella

Edgar Linton

Confines daughter to the boundaries of Thrushcross

Grange

Makes Catherine choose between him or Heathcliff thus restricting

her identity

Hindley Earnshaw

Oppresses and degrades

the new Heathcliff

Did You Know:1 in 4 women have suffered

domestic violence

BBC - 2004

Why is it that women have

always been the subject of gender discrimination?

It still exists. It needs to stop. Full

stop.