The Furies

“...pulled her hair down—which were the last stages on her road to frenzy. Being by this time a perfect Fury...” (Page 128)

The Furies are the Greek goddesses of vengeance. The first of the three goddesses is Tisiphone, the avenger of murder; the second is Megaera, the jealous, and the third is Alecto who represents constant anger. The Furies would punish anyone, without mercy, who committed a crime ranging from the small scale of breaking simple rules to the large scale of muder. As punishment, the Furies inflicted their victims with madness. They are often portrayed as hideous creatures with snakes for hair and blood dripping from their eyes. Dickens compares Mrs. Joe to these monstrous beings because of her temper. Following her confrontation with Orlick in the forge, it makes sense that she would be upset and a little unruly. By this point in the story, the reader is familiar with Mrs. Joe being a tyrant and an overall mean individual. Perhaps Dickens makes this reference to the Furies in order to foreshadow Mrs. Joe's eventual “punishment” – in a way, she is later penalized for her past wrongdoings or mistreatment of others.

"Furies, Greece, Greek mythology." Greece Travel Greek islands History and Mythology. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/furies.htm.

The Furies. Digital image. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. http://www.lordalford.com/mythology/Greeks/furies.jpg.