Washington Square

Dr. Sloper has two sisters, Lavinia Penniman and Elizabeth Almond. Mrs. Almond is the doctor’s favorite; she is attractive, reasonable, and charming. She married a prosperous merchant and bore several children. By contrast, Mrs. Penniman married a clergyman, who died when she was 33, leaving her without children or fortune. At the doctor’s invitation, Mrs. Penniman moves in with him and Catherine when Catherine is 10 years old. She wishes to educate Catherine. Mrs. Penniman is amiable, romantic, sentimental, and passionate about secrets and mystery.

While Catherine does not have her mother’s beauty, she is healthy, affectionate, and obedient. She is not particularly quick to learn but gains enough education to hold her own in respectable conversation within Dr. Sloper’s circles. She is shy and tends to remain in the background on social occasions. Catherine has a great fondness for her father but also a great fear of him. The narrator indicates that Dr. Sloper may not give enough credit to Catherine’s intelligence, though he recognizes her fidelity.

Dr. Sloper enjoys the finer things but is sometimes uncomfortable with Catherine’s attire and thinks she is overdressed. In particular, Catherine purchased a red velvet dress with gold trim for evening wear. In contrast, Dr. Sloper does not wish to be ostentatious about his wealth. The Sloper’s house in Washington Square, which he commissioned, is genteel and quiet.

The Washington Square neighborhood contrasts with that of Dr. Sloper’s sister, Mrs. Almond. She lives uptown in a less developed portion of the city with her husband and nine children, including seven boys. The Almond children fear their strange aunt, Mrs. Penniman, who dresses in black for 20 years after her husband’s death. Initially, they also mistrust Catherine, whom they associate with Mrs. Penniman. However, as the children grow up, they find that Catherine is as willing to play as any other child. With several of her boys already at college and one of her two girls married, Mrs. Almond prepares to hold an engagement party for the second daughter.

At the party, Catherine’s cousin Marian introduces her to Morris Townsend, a cousin of Marian’s fiancée. Catherine thinks Townsend is remarkably handsome. They dance and then sit down to talk. Catherine enjoys Townsend’s ease of conversation and continues to be struck by his beauty. She watches with pleasure as he converses with Mrs. Penniman, who smiles with approval. Dr. Sloper approaches Catherine and says that her dress makes it look as though she has a far larger fortune than she has, and he suggests she might not wish to dress so opulently.

When Dr. Sloper, Catherine, and Mrs. Penniman return home from the party, Dr. Sloper asks the name of the young man giving attention to Mrs. Penniman. Mrs. Penniman says the young man’s attention and devotion were not given to her but to Catherine. Mrs. Penniman indicates she did not catch the young man’s name, and Catherine claims she does not remember either.

Townsend and his cousin Arthur call on Catherine and Mrs. Penniman at the Washington Square house. Catherine talks to Arthur the whole visit, while Townsend talks to Mrs. Penniman. Arthur and Catherine discuss Townsend, and Catherine watches enviously as Mrs. Penniman speaks with him. Arthur describes his cousin as brilliant, but he also notes that Townsend has no fortune or occupation.

As the two young men prepare to leave, Townsend expresses regret that he did not get to speak to Catherine, which is what he came to do. When the men leave, Mrs. Penniman shares that Townsend wishes to court Catherine. Catherine is skeptical; she speculates that Mrs. Penniman reached this conclusion based on her vivid imagination.

When Dr. Sloper returns home, Mrs. Penniman tells him about Townsend’s visit. Dr. Sloper asks jokingly if Townsend proposed to Catherine, then suggests they let him know when Townsend's next visit is so the two men can talk. Townsend comes to call five days later, but Dr. Sloper is out. Mrs. Penniman leaves Townsend and Catherine alone in the drawing room.

Townsend appears at ease and friendly, and he asks Catherine about herself. She tells him she values theatre and romantic music but is not interested in literature. Townsend says he has seen all the most famous actors in London and Paris but finds them exaggerated and unnatural. He compliments Catherine for being natural and says he is the same way.

When Dr. Sloper returns home, Catherine tells him Townsend visited again. Dr. Sloper asks his sister, Mrs. Almond, what she knows about him. She says she believes he is around 30 and inherited a small amount but apparently spent it traveling and amusing himself. He lives with his sister. Dr. Sloper begins questioning Townsend’s motives in courting Catherine; the doctor does not think his daughter is lively or attractive enough to warrant such attention.

At first, Dr. Sloper is more amused than concerned that Catherine has a suitor. He tells Mrs. Penniman to ask Townsend to dinner. After dinner, Dr. Sloper questions Townsend. Though he recognizes Townsend is smart and able, Dr. Sloper does not like him, and Townsend’s self-assurance puts him off. Townsend, meanwhile, enjoys the wine and thinks that a cellar full of good wine would be a very positive asset for a father-in-law.

Townsend recognizes that Dr. Sloper does not like him, and he tells Catherine. She suggests that Dr. Sloper does not yet know him. Townsend says he would have preferred her to say it does not matter what her father thinks. Catherine replies that it does matter to her what her father thinks, and she could never say that.

Dr. Sloper talks again with Mrs. Almond about Townsend. He compliments Townsend’s physique from a doctor's perspective but says Townsend is too familiar and lacks the soul of a gentleman. Mrs. Almond says that Mrs. Penniman told her that Catherine is in love with Townsend. Dr. Sloper replies that Catherine must get over it.