Anne of Green Gables — Chapter 13

About This Passage

Anne articulates a philosophy of anticipation that directly engages with a competing philosophy (Mrs. Lynde's protective pessimism). The argument operates through a precise inversion: Mrs. Lynde argues that NOT expecting prevents disappointment; Anne argues that not expecting IS the greater deprivation. The passage models philosophical argument through dialogue with an opposing view, and its conclusion ('worse to expect nothing') constitutes a defense of the imaginative life the entire novel has been building.

Narration Prompt

Summarize this chapter, then explain what you think the author most wanted the reader to notice or feel. What techniques did the author use?

Discussion Questions

1. Anne argues that anticipation is half the pleasure and that expecting nothing is worse than being disappointed. Mrs. Lynde argues the opposite. Montgomery stages this as a philosophical debate between two worldviews: Anne's (embrace hope, accept the risk of loss) versus Mrs. Lynde's (suppress hope, avoid the pain of loss). Which position does the novel's accumulated evidence favor — and what would someone defending the other position argue?
2. Anne kisses Marilla and the narrator reveals this is 'the first time childish lips had voluntarily touched Marilla's face.' Marilla is 'secretly vastly pleased' but responds with 'never mind your kissing nonsense.' If Marilla consistently inverts her emotional expressions — harshness when she feels tenderness, rejection when she feels pleasure — what does this inversion reveal about how reserved people experience love, and how has the novel trained us to decode it?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide