Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Dressmaker, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Transformation, Illusion, and Truth
Vengeance and Suffering
Secrets, Hypocrisy, and Conformity
Memories, Progress, and the Past
Healing, Medicine, and Power
Summary
Analysis
At Pratt’s General Stores, Alvin places a wedding cake in the window display. Beula, Lois, Nancy, Ruth, Faith, and Purl all peer through the glass and watch Gertrude and Muriel flip through a bridal catalogue with Tilly. Molly is parked in her wheelchair nearby, making sarcastic comments. Gertrude, who’s a shapeless girl, picks an elaborate gown from the magazine. Tilly looks it over and says that she can make something even better.
Although the townspeople are happy to judge Tilly when they don’t need anything from her, as soon as Gertrude wants a dress, she is willing to use Tilly’s services. This shows that the Dungatar residents are hypocrites and only ostracize people who they feel they cannot use in some way.
Themes
Teddy hears all about the wedding plans from Purl in the bar. He hears that Tilly is making the dress and that the fabric will arrive on the fast train on Friday. Teddy repeats all this to Tilly, and they joke about whether or not the train will arrive (Hamish says that the new diesels are unreliable). Teddy says it will be better if it does arrive because Tilly will get to show everyone how well she can sew.
Although diesel trains are faster and more reliable than steam trains, Hamish romanticizes the past when only steam trains were used. Teddy is slightly naïve and holds onto the illusory belief that Tilly will be able to win over the townspeople and gain acceptance in Dungatar. This is not true, however, as the townspeople are close-minded and are not interested in accepting Tilly—only in using her for her dressmaking talents.
Themes
Teddy invites Tilly to come for a drive with him the next day, and Tilly agrees. When Tilly gets back home, she finds that Molly has taken apart her sewing machine—it takes Tilly days to put it back together. Once it is fixed, Tilly begins works on Gertrude’s dress. Molly approaches Tilly with the fire poker, however, and hits her over the head with it.
Molly sabotages Tilly’s sewing machine because she feels that Tilly’s belief that she can start a new life in Dungatar despite the local people’s prejudice against her, is naïve and illusory. Instead, Molly wants Tilly to move away and make a new life elsewhere.
Themes
Teddy comes to the house and finds Tilly nursing a large bump on her head. Molly starts to cry when Tilly tells Teddy what happened—she says that Tilly is out to get her. Teddy comforts Molly and invites the women to his house the next day to celebrate Christmas. Tilly refuses, but Molly says that she will go and that Teddy can pick her up.
Although Molly does not want Tilly to stay in Dungatar (she tries to sabotage Tilly’s attempts to work for the Dungatar townspeople because she feels that the locals will never accept Tilly and will make her unhappy), she tries to push Tilly and Teddy together because she can see that Teddy is kind and has Tilly’s best interests in mind. Tilly is reluctant to accept Teddy’s kindness, however, because she has been hurt by past experiences of loss.
Themes
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The next day, Teddy comes to collect Molly and brings roses for Tilly. He stole them from someone’s garden, which at once touches and amuses Tilly. Teddy tries to convince her to come once more. He says that the McSwiney children are very excited about Christmas and that it will be fun, but Tilly says she’d rather be by herself. As Teddy leaves and wheels Molly down the Hill, Tilly whispers that seeing the McSwiney children would break her heart.
Although Teddy seems well-meaning toward Tilly, Tilly is reluctant to accept his kindness because she is scarred by past experiences. This demonstrates how people’s memories (particularly traumatic ones) can have far-reaching impacts on their future behavior.
Themes
