Prudence Dimm is the teacher at Dungatar school and is Ruth Dimm’s sister. Prudence’s last name, Dimm, is pertinent because she short-sighted to the point of near-blindness—her sight is “dim.” Prudence is a gossip and she’s harsh with the children she teaches. She taught Tilly Dunnage and Stewart Pettyman when they were children, and she picked on Tilly because she was an outsider in the town. Prudence also tells Tilly that her father is Evan Pettyman, but Tilly doesn’t tell people that she knows this.
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Prudence Dimm Character Timeline in The Dressmaker
The timeline below shows where the character Prudence Dimm appears in The Dressmaker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...the town moves 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,...
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Chapter 5
Prudence Dimm teaches in the Dungatar school opposite the post office. Her sister, Ruth, works in the...
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Chapter 6
...pots for the students, Stewart shoved the desk so that she spilled ink on him. Prudence Dimm , the teacher, made Tilly sit outside all morning as punishment.
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Chapter 14
...Barney sit on the porch and watch her. One of the golf balls flies past Prudence Dimm , who is stumbling up the Hill. She has a bundle of school uniforms with...
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Chapter 26
...Tilly’s father. She asks if Tilly knows who her father is, and Tilly replies that Prudence Dimm told her when she was at school. Molly says that she tried to escape Tilly’s...
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