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Gertrude Pratt
William Beaumont is Elsbeth and Bill Beaumont’s eldest son. William returns home from college and moves back in with Elsbeth and his sister, Mona. Elsbeth is delighted to have William home, but she immediately grows bitter and jealous when she cannot control him and when he wants to go out and have a life of his own. Bill Beaumont has passed away, and Elsbeth is a lonely and pretentious woman who views herself as extremely refined—although she is not as rich as she pretends to be and is, in fact, heavily in debt—and despises the other Dungatar residents. William is a weak character, and although he wants to break free of his mother, he grows increasingly henpecked and manipulated by her as the novel progresses. To gain his independence, William marries Gertrude Pratt, who moves into the Beaumonts’ house at Windswept Crest. Gertrude and Elsbeth gang up on William, however, and boss him around constantly. William dreams of being free throughout the novel. He knows he does not love his wife and he regrets his marriage and return to Dungatar. After William eventually encounters Tilly and becomes infatuated with her, he stands up to Gertrude and has her committed to an asylum after she goes mad during the Dungatar theater production of Macbeth.
William Beaumont Quotes in The Dressmaker
The The Dressmaker quotes below are all either spoken by William Beaumont or refer to William Beaumont. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 13 Quotes
Every female seated in the War Memorial Hall that afternoon had listened hard, waited with bated breath for the name of a seamstress or dressmaker. She wasn't mentioned.
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Gertrude stepped out of her wedding gown and hung it on a coat hanger. She caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror an unremarkable brunette with quiver-thighs and unbeautiful breasts. She let the tea-colored silk negligee slide over her chilly nipples and looked in the mirror again. 'I am Mrs. William Beaumont of Windswept Crest,' she said.
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William Beaumont Character Timeline in The Dressmaker
The timeline below shows where the character William Beaumont appears in The Dressmaker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...town seems busy and lively. Sergeant Farrat makes his way down the strip and passes William Beaumont, who sits dejectedly in his mother’s car. As Sergeant Farrat approaches Pratt’s General Store,...
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Sergeant Farrat says that they shouldn’t be too hasty because William may become engaged to one of the local women soon. Mona replies that her mother,...
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...make tablecloths and linen for his house. As Sergeant Farrat leaves the counter, Gertrude notices William in the car parked outside. She makes for the door, but Alvin calls for her...
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Muriel tells Gertrude that Elsbeth needs feed for William’s horse and Gertrude begins to portion it out. Muriel says teasingly that the Dungatar women...
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William Beaumont arrived in Dungatar the previous night, just before Tilly. He has been away at...
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William goes to help Elsbeth load the chaff into the car and he notices Gertrude smiling...
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In her house on Windswept Crescent, Elsbeth Beaumont prepares a roast dinner. William Beaumont is in the changing rooms at the football pitch, laughing and joking with the...
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...game, and Purl and Fred Bundle serve them drinks and celebrate with them. Purl notices William in the crowd and, for a moment, she thinks he is his father, Bill. She...
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Chapter 6
...counter. Faith flirts with the butcher and she can barely breathe when he teases her. William Beaumont enters and asks Gertrude where Alvin is. Gertrude introduces herself brightly to William, but...
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Chapter 9
At Elsbeth Beaumont’s house, Windswept Crescent, Elsbeth tearfully looks out the window and waits for William to come home. William is in the pub, however, drinking before the footballer’s dance. He...
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William dances around the hall with Gertrude and feels comforted by her presence. When they take...
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...the corner of the living room while Elsbeth sits by the window, still waiting for William to come home. At last, tired of being ignored, Mona gets up and goes to...
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Out on the riverbank, Gertrude and William lie together and Gertrude allows William to slip one finger inside her. William arrives home...
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Chapter 10
...at the footballer’s dance and indignantly tells Farrat that Gertrude Pratt went off alone with William Beaumont. Sergeant Farrat gives Beula the knitting pattern and tells her that it is a...
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...halfheartedly. Beula then tells her that Gertrude was with a man all night. Just then, William drives past and nods at the two women, who both turn to stare at him.
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...While Lois works, she gossips about the footballer’s dance and tells Irma that she thinks William Beaumont and Gertrude Pratt will have to get married. Lois doesn’t think that Elsbeth will...
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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...
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...and Elsbeth gapes at him, horrified. Alvin and Gertrude storm off through the crowd and William follows. The crowd around them watches, fascinated.
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...and says that Gertrude’s boyfriend is looking for her. Gertrude tells Tilly that she and William Beaumont are engaged.
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William wanders over and Tilly catches his eye. They stare at each other until Gertrude drags...
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That night, William and Gertrude fondle each other in the back of William’s car. William wants to have...
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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...
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At the wedding, William waits nervously at the altar. When Gertrude enters the church and floats down the aisle,...
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...Gertrude Beaumont of Windswept Crest,” puts on her lingerie, and goes into the bedroom, where William is reading in bed. Gertrude gets into bed with him and puts a towel beneath...
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Afterward, William asks her if the sex was painful, and Gertrude replies that it didn’t hurt much....
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...the bit of towel she used the night before and hides it away. She and William go down to breakfast with Mona and Elsbeth. Gertrude announces that she needs some new...
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Chapter 15
...women wear striking new outfits made by Tilly. The whole street turns to stare as William Beaumont’s car passes by. Elsbeth, Gertrude, Mona, and another man are in the car, and...
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...sits in the kitchen at Windswept Crest and watches Mona wash the dishes. Lesley met William in the lobby of the hotel in Melbourne, where Lesley was working in the hotel...
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Meanwhile, in the library, William, Gertrude, and Elsbeth listen to records and relax. Suddenly, Gertrude rushes out of the room,...
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Chapter 16
...residents gather at Windswept Crescent for the Social Club Gala held outside in the grounds. William shows Reginald and Scotty the field, talking vaguely about his plans for the farm. Gertrude...
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Chapter 17
Mona and Lesley have a quiet wedding, and William drives them to the station to set off on their honeymoon. They are booked into...
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Chapter 22
William slouches on the deck outside his house and listens to Gertrude as she gossips on...
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...gives birth on the carpet. Beula whispers to Lois that Gertrude has been married to William for eight months. When Evan arrives home, he is shocked by the scene that greets...
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Chapter 23
In the bar, Purl pours drinks and listens to a drunken William tearfully exclaim that he is not really in love with Gertrude. He also complains that...
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Chapter 25
At the Dungatar station, Hamish sells Una a ticket, and William sees her onto the train. Una cries a little as she leaves Dungatar for good....
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Chapter 27
...Elsbeth sighs and says that they will use the money that she was saving for William’s tractor. Gertrude suggests that William can play Macbeth, and the group sets off happily down...
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Chapter 30
As February turns into March, the days grow hotter. William goes to Tilly to be fitted for his costume. He is very drawn to her...
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Chapter 31
William suddenly steps forward and slaps Gertrude hard. He says that if she does not stop...
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Chapter 32
From the hall window, William waves to the doctor, who is in the hotel across the street. The doctor hurries...
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Chapter 33
...says that she can see Windswept Crescent from the Hill—it is untouched by the fire. William says that they should all visit Elsbeth, and the Dungatar residents begin to traipse across...
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