Irma Almanac Character Analysis

Irma Almanac is the wife of Dungatar’s chemist, Mr. Almanac. Irma is an elderly woman who’s crippled by painful arthritis and has lived a sad and downtrodden life. When Mr. Almanac was young, he used to beat Irma—now that he is too old and ill to do this, he abuses his power over her by refusing to let her take pain medication for her illness. Instead, Mr. Almanac tells Irma that she is in pain because she is a sinful person. Irma is kind, however, and she sends Molly food when she knows that Molly is ill and alone. Tilly becomes friends with Irma when she returns to Dungatar, and she makes Irma herbal cakes that ease her arthritic pain. Every day, after Mr. Almanac finished work, Nancy (Mr. Almanac’s assistant) wheels him across the street in his wheelchair and Irma catches him with a cushion at the front gate. One night, after eating a batch of Tilly’s cakes, Irma falls asleep and fails to catch Mr. Almanac. He rolls through the house and out of the back door, where he drowns in the river. After his death, Irma takes to wearing bright red dresses, which she was never allowed to do before.