Aunt Dottie
The aunt who raised the orphaned Tom and remains a source of shame in his memories and letters.
To maintain authority over the nephew she raised and enforce her strict idea of proper behavior.
The book
At a glance
- Tom's aunt and guardian
- Raised Tom
- Memories and letters
- Shame and resentment
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeAunt Dottie raised Tom after his parents died. She belongs mostly to his memories and correspondence rather than the Italian action.
Tom remembers her as emotionally cruel, especially when she mocked his masculinity and dependence. Those memories help explain why humiliation provokes him.
Explanation is not excuse. Highsmith gives Tom a history of shame without removing his responsibility.
How the book draws them
- Substitute parentShe becomes Tom's guardian after his parents die.
- Emotionally withholdingHe remembers contempt more readily than affection.
- A source of shameHer insults become part of how he judges weakness.
- Present from a distanceMemories and letters keep her influence active.
Dottie does not discover the crimes. Her influence appears in Tom's fear of ridicule and dependence.
Money ends his material dependence, but not the emotional habits formed under her care.
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