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Mae McSwiney
Muriel Pratt is Alvin Pratt’s wife and Gertrude Pratt’s mother. Muriel and her husband run Pratt’s General Store in Dungatar, and they’re wealthy because of this. Muriel is an unpretentious woman who likes to lead a quiet life and only half-heartedly joins in with the local gossip. She subtly encourages Gertrude to pursue William Beaumont, however, as the Beaumont’s are believed to be very rich and refined—but Muriel is disappointed when Gertrude’s marriage makes her snobbish and dismissive of her parents.
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Muriel Pratt Character Timeline in The Dressmaker
The timeline below shows where the character Muriel Pratt appears in The Dressmaker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
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 counters. The butcher, Reginald...
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Muriel serves Sergeant Farrat, who often comes in and buys fabric to make tablecloths and linen...
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Muriel tells Gertrude that Elsbeth needs feed for William’s horse and Gertrude begins to portion it...
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Muriel leans over and brushes something off Elsbeth’s fox fur, which she always wears. Elsbeth says...
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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 counter...
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Chapter 6
...leaves the shop, ignoring Gertrude’s attempts to flirt with him. As Gertrude watches William leave, Muriel informs her that there is a dance on Saturday night.
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Chapter 10
Beula rushes into Pratt’s and stops to talk to Muriel. Beula tells Muriel that Tilly went to the dance with Teddy and that she wore...
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Chapter 12
...Lois, Nancy, Ruth, Faith, and Purl all peer through the glass and watch Gertrude and Muriel flip through a bridal catalogue with Tilly. Molly is parked in her wheelchair nearby, making...
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Chapter 14
...where Tilly trained—she has heard that Tilly worked for a famous fashion designer in Paris. Muriel Pratt arrives next and asks Tilly to make her a stylish “day wear” look.
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Chapter 15
The next day, Elsbeth and Gertrude go into Pratt’s to see Muriel. They wear their new designer outfits and they’re slightly put out that Muriel, too, has...
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Chapter 16
...plans for the farm. Gertrude surveys the scene anxiously from her lounge chair and bosses Muriel around. Faith O’Brien sneaks off to meet Reginald while Hamish guards his model train set...
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Chapter 22
...will become dirtied. She hastily takes one of her medicines as Lois lumbers around clumsily. Muriel causes a stir when she arrives because she’s wearing a dress that Tilly made her....
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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 really friends...
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...if she has ever heard of Shakespeare. Tilly quotes the witches’ speech from Macbeth, but Muriel says that they have not read the play yet.
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...not paid 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...
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