Alvin Pratt is Muriel Pratt’s husband and Gertrude Pratt’s father. Alvin is somewhat two-faced: he is extremely pleasant to his customers, but he also keeps an extremely close eye on everything they owe him and he is really only concerned about money. This attitude makes Alvin rich, however, and he is one of the more powerful figures in Dungatar. Alvin encourages Gertrude’s marriage to William Beaumont. Although the Beaumonts are actually poorer than the Pratts, Alvin snobbishly enjoys his family’s connection with the Beaumonts as he feels that their high social status makes him refined by association. Alvin is the financial benefactor of the Dungatar Ladies Social Club—which Gertrude sets up with her mother-in-law, Elsbeth Beaumont—and he lends them money for all their cultural events. While this seems kind on Alvin’s part, really, he likes people to owe him money because this gives him power over them.
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Alvin Pratt Character Timeline in The Dressmaker
The timeline below shows where the character Alvin Pratt appears in The Dressmaker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...east to west—from Mr. and Mrs. Almanac’s cottage to the school where Prudence Dimm teaches. Alvin Pratt’s General Store sits on the high street alongside the pub, police station, and post...
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Chapter 2
Inside Pratt’s store, there are several counters. Alvin Pratt, his wife, Muriel, and his daughter Gertrude serve behind the dry goods and hardware...
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...counter, Gertrude notices William in the car parked outside. She makes for the door, but Alvin calls for her to serve a customer. Gertrude approaches the farm section of the store...
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Chapter 4
Inside Pratt’s, Alvin, Muriel, and Gertrude watch, amazed, as Tilly wheels Molly between the shelves. Tilly approaches the...
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Chapter 6
...she can barely breathe when he teases her. William Beaumont enters and asks Gertrude where Alvin is. Gertrude introduces herself brightly to William, but he wanders off before she can finish....
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Chapter 9
...band are warming up. William feels miserable because of the money his mother owes to Alvin Pratt, which William now must pay. He wanders to the snack table and bumps into...
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Chapter 11
The crowd at the Dungatar races stares as Gertrude, William, and Alvin make their way through the stands together. Mona and Elsbeth have already taken their seats,...
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Alvin asks Elsbeth if she has bet on a winner and says that he has put...
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Chapter 12
At Pratt’s General Stores, Alvin places a wedding cake in the window display. Beula, Lois, Nancy, Ruth, Faith, and Purl...
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Chapter 13
Elsbeth refuses to leave her bed in protest over William and Gertrude’s wedding. Alvin postpones Elsbeth’s debt repayment, however, and he lends William money for the wedding. Mona is...
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Chapter 15
...“Trudy”) has developed an exaggerated accent to match Elsbeth’s. The women want to speak to Alvin—they explain that they have big plans for a Dungatar women’s social and cultural club and...
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Alvin agrees to this and asks where Mona is. Elsbeth and Gertrude explain that Mona is...
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Chapter 27
Beula goes into Pratt’s and tells Alvin and Muriel that Sergeant Farrat advises against going to Molly’s funeral if they were not...
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...she will make Winyerp or Itheca’s costumes instead. Gertrude demands that the treasurer, Muriel, ask Alvin for the money. Muriel snaps that the group also owes Alvin money and that no...
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