Beverly Marsh is one of the main characters in Stephen King’s horror novel It and its film adaptations. She is part of the Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who battle the evil entity Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Beverly has a difficult home life with her abusive father, Alvin Marsh. This has led many readers and viewers to wonder – just how abusive is Beverly’s dad in It?
Evidence of Abuse in the Book
In Stephen King’s 1986 novel, there are several instances that point to Alvin Marsh being psychologically and physically abusive towards Beverly:
Controlling Behavior
– He exercises an inappropriate amount of control over Beverly’s actions, clothing and who she spends time with. For example, he doesn’t let her associate with boys from school.
Inappropriate Sexual Advances
– There are disturbing sexual undertones in how Alvin treats Beverly, like when he demands she get dressed in the bathroom with the door open.
Physical Violence
– Alvin is said to hit and slap Beverly on multiple occasions, leaving marks and bruises. Once he even knocks her unconscious.
Verbal Abuse
– He frequently insults Beverly, calling her cruel names and accusing her of being promiscuous. Alvin’s verbal attacks take a toll on her self-esteem.
So in the novel, it is made evident through these behaviors that Alvin Marsh abuses his daughter physically, sexually and emotionally. King paints a grim picture of Beverly’s domestic situation.
Evidence of Abuse in the 1990 TV Movie
The 1990 TV adaptation of It also contains several examples of Alvin Marsh mistreating Beverly:
Inappropriate Sexual Behavior
– He makes inappropriate sexual comments about Beverly’s developing body.
Physical Violence
– Alvin backhands Beverly across the face when she talks back to him, leaving a mark.
Verbal Attacks
– He frequently puts Beverly down with cruel insults meant to shame her.
While the TV version doesn’t delve as deep into the abuse as the novel, it still makes it quite evident that Alvin is abusive towards his daughter.
Evidence of Abuse in the 2017 and 2019 Films
The two-part film series adapted from King’s book in 2017 and 2019 also contain depiction of abuse by Alvin Marsh:
Inappropriate Behavior
– Alvin acts inappropriately towards Beverly, like commenting on her body and barging into the bathroom when she’s bathing.
Physical Violence
– In a disturbing scene, Alvin tries to choke Beverly when she talks back to him. She has visible bruises on her neck afterwards.
Verbal Attacks
– He frequently insults her and accuses her of acting in a promiscuous manner. This takes a toll on her self-worth.
So while the films don’t explore it as graphically as the book, they clearly establish Alvin as an abusive father through his words and actions toward Beverly.
Impact of the Abuse on Beverly
Beverly suffers significant emotional damage as a result of the sustained abuse by her father:
– She feels isolated and unable to tell anyone about what’s happening. This sense of loneliness drew her to the Losers Club.
– Beverly blames herself and feels ashamed of the abuse, even though it isn’t her fault.
– She struggles with low self-esteem and defining her own identity outside of her father’s view of her.
– Beverly longs to escape from her father and Derry. She sees the Losers as her way out.
– The trauma of her father’s abuse lingers with Beverly into adulthood, as evidenced by her choice in abusive partners.
So while the severity of the abuse differs somewhat across the book and films, the impact it has on Beverly remains similarly tragic. Her experiences with her father leave deep emotional scars.
Comparison of Abusive Behavior
Here is a comparison of some of the main abusive behaviors demonstrated by Alvin Marsh towards his daughter Beverly in the novel, films and mini-series:
| Type of Abuse | Novel Evidence | 1990 TV Movie Evidence | 2017/2019 Film Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical violence | Hits and slaps Beverly frequently, knocks her unconscious at one point | Backhands her across the face | Tries to strangle her, leaves bruises on her neck |
| Sexual abuse | Makes Beverly dress provocatively, implies incestuous intent, barges into bathroom while she bathes | Makes inappropriate comments about her body | Barges into bathroom while she bathes, makes inappropriate comments |
| Verbal/emotional abuse | Degrades her, accuses her of promiscuity, attacks her self-esteem | Puts her down with insults meant to shame her | Frequently insults her and accuses her of promiscuity |
| Controlling behavior | Controls what she wears, who she sees, tries to prevent her from having friends | Not depicted | Not depicted |
This makes it clear that while specific depictions of abuse differ across the sources, Alvin’s treatment of Beverly is unequivocally abusive – both physically and psychologically. The films tend to focus on a subset of the abusive behavior described in the novel.
Conclusion
Based on strong evidence from Stephen King’s novel, the 1990 miniseries and the 2017/2019 film adaptions, it is clear that Beverly Marsh’s father Alvin is abusive towards her. He exerts inappropriate control over her life, makes sexual advances, physically harms her, and attacks her mentally and emotionally. This abuse deeply scars Beverly’s psyche and shapes many of her choices moving forward. While details differ, Alvin’s heinous treatment of his daughter is made plain in the book, TV version and films. By establishing this trauma, King and the filmmakers paint a portrait of how abuse can drastically alter a young life.