The Symbol of Missing Teeth in The Housemaid: Power, Punishment, and Cycles of Abuse

What Missing Teeth Literally Represent

In The Housemaid, missing teeth are not merely a physical detail—they are a visceral symbol of control, punishment, and the stripping of personal power. The act of having a tooth forcibly removed (or being forced to remove one’s own) recurs at critical moments and ties directly to the novel’s exploration of domestic abuse, manipulation, and survival. The teeth themselves are ordinary, but the method of their extraction—using pliers under duress—makes them a lasting emblem of cruelty passed down through generations.

Where the Symbol Recurs

The motif appears three distinct times, each escalating in meaning:

Childhood Punishment (Chapter 66): Evelyn Winchester, Andrew’s mother, confesses that she used pliers to pull one of his baby teeth when he failed to brush. She states, “Si no te cuidas los dientes, pierdes el privilegio de tener dientes.” This establishes the origin of dental violence as a disciplinary tool within the family.
Millie’s Ultimatum (Chapter 62): While holding Andrew captive in the attic, Millie slides pliers under the door and tells him he must pull his own tooth to be released. After hours of dehydration and failed attempts to break down the door, Andrew ultimately complies, wrenching a tooth from his own mouth.
Andrew’s Corpse (Chapter 66): At the wake, Nina and Evelyn both dwell on Andrew’s missing teeth. The detective had noted them, and Evelyn’s approval (“Me alegro de que dieras un paso al frente y le dieras una lección”) confirms that she understands the parallel to her own abuse.

How the Meaning Changes

The symbol’s meaning shifts across these recurrences. For Evelyn, pulling teeth was a punishment designed to enforce hygiene—a twisted lesson in discipline. For Andrew, the same act becomes a forced submission: Millie uses it to make him feel the powerlessness he inflicted on others. For Nina, the missing teeth on Andrew’s dead body represent both her liberation and the revelation that his mother’s cruelty shaped him. The teeth move from being a parent’s tool of control to a victim’s weapon of retribution, then to an emblem of inherited cycles.

Character Connections

Andrew Winchester: His missing teeth are the physical scar of a childhood dominated by his mother. As an adult, he perpetuates the same abuse—locking Nina and Millie in the attic, enforcing his will through violence. His own teeth being pulled forces him to confront his own vulnerability.
Evelyn Winchester: She is the origin of the dental abuse. Her cold justification reveals that she sees her son’s death as a “lesson” he failed to learn. She does not condemn Nina; instead, she appears relieved that someone finished what she started.
Millie Calloway: By demanding Andrew pull his own tooth, Millie seizes control. She weaponizes the very method Evelyn used, turning the symbol from passive suffering into active resistance. This act cements her growth from victim to perpetrator of justice (not abuse).
Nina Winchester: Nina witnesses the results of the missing teeth and realizes Evelyn’s complicity. The teeth become a silent confession that the abuse was multigenerational, and they free Nina from guilt over Andrew’s death.

Theme Connections

The missing teeth motif ties directly to several major themes in the novel:

Power and Control: The extraction of teeth is the ultimate assertion of control over another person’s body and will. Evelyn uses it to dominate Andrew; Millie uses it to dominate him in turn.
Domestic Abuse and Manipulation: The teeth symbolize how abuse is hidden behind closed doors. No one sees the missing teeth until Andrew’s wake, mirroring how domestic violence remains invisible until it ends in tragedy.
Deception and Secrets: The act of tooth‑pulling occurs in secret—Evelyn’s childhood punishment, Millie’s attic trap. The missing teeth are a secret that eventually surfaces, revealing the truth about Andrew’s upbringing and death.
Female Solidarity and Survival: Millie and Nina do not directly discuss the teeth, but their shared understanding of Andrew’s cruelty bonds them. The epilogue shows Nina giving Millie a recommendation, and Millie later offers help to another abused woman—continuing a chain of survival rather than abuse.
Class Divide: The attic room, with its locked door and small window, is where Millie is imprisoned—and later where Andrew is held. The missing teeth come from the same pliers kept in the garage, blurring the line between servant and master when roles reverse.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Millie choose to make Andrew pull his own tooth rather than doing it herself?

Answer: By forcing Andrew to perform the extraction, Millie makes him experience the agency and terror of self-harm. She mirrors the powerlessness he inflicted on her and Nina, ensuring he understands what it feels like to be stripped of control. It also avoids directly becoming his abuser—she gives him a choice, however cruel.
How does Evelyn’s reaction to Andrew’s missing teeth at the wake change our understanding of Andrew’s character?

Answer: Evelyn’s approval confirms that Andrew was abused from childhood, which complicates his role as a villain. He was both a perpetrator and a victim. The missing teeth are a physical link between his mother’s brutality and his own. This revelation does not excuse his actions but explains the source of his rage and need for control.
What does the repeated use of pliers signify beyond the physical act?

Answer: The pliers are a domestic tool, common in any household. Their use for punishment symbolizes how abuse can be disguised as everyday discipline. The tool itself is neutral, but in the hands of Evelyn, Andrew, and later Millie, it becomes an instrument of power. Its recurrence underscores that abuse is often passed down through ordinary objects and routines.
How do missing teeth contribute to the theme of female solidarity in the novel?

Answer: The missing teeth become a shared secret between Nina and Evelyn—both know what Andrew endured and what he did to others. Nina’s relief when Evelyn condones the killing creates a silent pact. Later, Millie uses the same method to free Nina, and in the epilogue, Nina’s glowing recommendation helps Millie start a new life. The teeth, though violent, ultimately lead to women supporting each other to break free from Andrew’s cycle.

Conclusion

In The Housemaid, missing teeth are far more than a gruesome detail. They are a concentrated symbol of the novel’s deepest concerns: how power is seized and lost, how abuse is inherited, and how victims can reclaim agency through acts that mirror their oppressors’. Evelyn’s childhood punishment, Millie’s ultimatum, and the visible evidence at the wake form a trilogy of violence that traces abuse from generation to generation. Yet the symbol also offers a kind of closure—Nina and Millie go free, and the teeth serve as a permanent reminder that Andrew, for all his cruelty, was once a child who had his own teeth pulled.

For further exploration, visit the main The Housemaid overview or read about key figures such as Millie Calloway, Nina Winchester, and Andrew Winchester.