# Mrs. Almond — Washington Square character guide > Mrs. Almond in Washington Square by Henry James. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Almond, this Mrs. Almond **First appearance:** 0001-ii ## Snapshot Dr. Sloper's sensible, sharp-tongued sister, the one relative who sees the family's cruelty clearly and says so. ## Who they are Mrs. Almond is the Doctor's preferred sister — comfortable, reasonable, and unafraid to puncture his icy detachment with dry wit. She warns him that Catherine will cling like a dented copper kettle, and she is the only voice in the family that treats Catherine's feelings as real rather than as a case study. Her clear-eyed asides frame the moral stakes of the engagement for the reader. ## Relationships ### [Catherine Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/catherine_sloper) _family_ Mrs. Almond is Catherine's aunt, a sensible and kind woman who offers Catherine quiet support and a more balanced perspective than Lavinia. ### [Lavinia Penniman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/lavinia_penniman) _family_ Lavinia and Mrs. Almond are sisters-in-law, with Mrs. Almond often serving as a voice of reason against Lavinia's romantic meddling. ### [Morris Townsend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/morris_townsend) _social_ Morris is polite to Mrs. Almond, but she is wary of him and sees through his charm, unlike Lavinia. ### [Dr. Austin Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/dr_austin_sloper) _family_ Dr. Sloper respects Mrs. Almond as his sensible sister-in-law, and they share a mutual understanding about Catherine's situation. ### [Catherine Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/catherine_sloper) _family_ Mrs. Almond is Catherine's aunt, a sensible and kind woman who offers Catherine quiet support and a more balanced perspective than Lavinia. ### [Catherine Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/catherine_sloper) _family_ Mrs. Almond is Catherine's aunt, a sensible and kind woman who offers Catherine quiet support and a more balanced perspective than Lavinia. ### [Lavinia Penniman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/lavinia_penniman) _family_ Lavinia and Mrs. Almond are sisters-in-law, with Mrs. Almond often serving as a voice of reason against Lavinia's romantic meddling. ### [Dr. Austin Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/dr_austin_sloper) _family_ Dr. Sloper respects Mrs. Almond as his sensible sister-in-law, and they share a mutual understanding about Catherine's situation. ### [Dr. Austin Sloper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/dr_austin_sloper) _family_ Dr. Sloper respects Mrs. Almond as his sensible sister-in-law, and they share a mutual understanding about Catherine's situation. ## In the story ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/ii) Dr. Sloper's younger sister, a comely and reasonable woman, and a favorite of her brother. She is the mother of a blooming family. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/iii) Catherine's aunt, who lives uptown and gives a party to celebrate her daughter's engagement; she has nine children. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/vi) Mrs. Almond provides Dr. Sloper with information about Morris Townsend, including his lack of profession and his sister Mrs. Montgomery. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/vii) Discusses Morris with Dr. Sloper, defending him as a branch of the Townsends and suggesting the key is for Catherine to see his true nature. ### [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/ix) Hosts the Sunday evening gathering; agrees to arrange a meeting between Dr. Sloper and Mrs. Montgomery; privately notes that Morris does not have the cut of a schoolmaster. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xiii) Questions Dr. Sloper's certainty and expresses sympathy for Catherine's dilemma. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxi) Engages in a clever conversation with Dr. Sloper about Catherine's character, comparing her to a copper kettle that retains a dent. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxiii) Disapproves of Mrs. Penniman's relations with Morris and warns that if Catherine loses her inheritance, Morris will become cruel. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxvii) Discusses Catherine's steadfastness with Dr. Sloper and shows motherly kindness to Catherine. ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxxi) Mrs. Almond discusses Catherine's situation with Mrs. Penniman, expressing that Morris ought to be horsewhipped. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxxii) Takes up Catherine after the rupture and criticizes Dr. Sloper for his lack of sympathy, though she learns no secrets from Catherine. ### [Chapter XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/chapters/xxxiii) Mentioned as a legatee in Dr. Sloper's will, receiving an annuity. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters/mrs_almond - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/washington_square_se/characters