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Mrs. Catherine Harrington Sloper
Mrs. Almond is Dr. Sloper’s wiser and preferred sister, “comely, comfortable, [and] reasonable.” She is frequently a voice of moderation and reason in the book. She sees greater potential in Catherine Sloper than her brother does and sticks up for her. After Catherine is jilted by Morris, Aunt Almond takes a motherly interest in her.
Aunt Elizabeth Almond Quotes in Washington Square
The Washington Square quotes below are all either spoken by Aunt Elizabeth Almond or refer to Aunt Elizabeth Almond. 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 7 Quotes
“He is not what I call a gentleman. He has not the soul of one. He is extremely insinuating; but it's a vulgar nature. I saw through it in a minute. He is altogether too familiar—I hate familiarity. He is a plausible coxcomb.”
“Ah, well,” said Mrs. Almond; ‘if you make up your mind so easily, it’s a great advantage.”
“I don’t make up my mind easily. What I tell you is the result of thirty years of observation; and in order to be able to form that judgment in a single evening, I have had to spend a lifetime in study.”
“Very possibly you are right. But the thing is for Catherine to see it.”
“I will present her with a pair of spectacles!” said the Doctor.
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Chapter 21 Quotes
“[…] The two things are extremely mixed up, and the mixture is extremely odd. It will produce some third element, and that’s what I am waiting to see. I wait with suspense—with positive excitement; and that is a sort of emotion that I didn’t suppose Catherine would ever provide for me. I am really very much obliged to her.”
“She will cling,” said Mrs. Almond; “she will certainly cling.”
“Yes; as I say, she will stick.”
“Cling is prettier. That’s what those very simple natures always do, and nothing could be simpler than Catherine. She doesn’t take many impressions; but when she takes one she keeps it. She is like a copper kettle that receives a dent; you may polish up the kettle, but you can’t efface the mark.”
“We must try and polish up Catherine,” said the Doctor. “I will take her to Europe.”
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Aunt Elizabeth Almond Character Timeline in Washington Square
The timeline below shows where the character Aunt Elizabeth Almond appears in Washington Square. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...dress in a manner befitting “Republican simplicity.” For instance, to a party at her aunt Mrs. Almond ’s, 21-year-old Catherine wears a dress of red satin with gold trim which she’s coveted...
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While the Slopers live in fashionable Washington Square, Mrs. Almond and her large family live uptown in an area which still retains some “rural picturesqueness.”...
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Chapter 6
...thinks to himself, “Decidedly, my daughter is not brilliant!” Dr. Sloper later asks his sister Mrs. Almond what more she knows about Morris. Mrs. Almond explains that Morris is descended from an...
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Mrs. Almond goes on to say that Morris had been in the Navy when he was younger,...
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Mrs. Almond defends Catherine, pointing out that she has her own style, but that she seems older...
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Chapter 7
Later, when Dr. Sloper talks with Mrs. Almond , he says that Catherine will have to get over her feelings for Morris, because...
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Chapter 9
The next Sunday evening at Aunt Almond ’s house, the Slopers are visiting their relatives, and Morris joins the party. Catherine, aware...
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Chapter 13
...making quick estimations of people, and 19 times out of 20, he has been right. Aunt Almond suggests that perhaps Morris Townsend is the 20th case. Dr. Sloper doesn’t think so, but...
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...that Catherine’s longstanding admiration for him will win out over her newfound love for Morris. Aunt Almond is not so sure, and anyway, she points out, Aunt Penniman will be pulling on...
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Chapter 21
Aunt Almond finds Dr. Sloper cold-blooded in his amusement at Catherine’s determination to “stick.” Dr. Sloper says...
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Chapter 23
...of luxurious tastes and scanty resources, he found the house a perfect castle of indolence.” Aunt Almond disapproves of her sister’s friendship with Morris, and Aunt Penniman makes no effort to befriend...
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Chapter 27
Dr. Sloper complains to Aunt Almond that Catherine has come home as immovable as he is on the subject of Morris;...
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Chapter 32
...knowing this—“his punishment […] for the abuse of sarcasm in his relations with his daughter.” Aunt Almond suspects the truth that Catherine has been “cruelly jilted” and continues to show her maternal...
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