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Copywork
About This Passage
This compact sentence packs three vivid images into a single clause: a smile that is 'reluctant' (personified as unwilling), 'rusty' (a metaphor for something mechanical from disuse), and 'mellowing' Marilla's grimness. It models how precise word choices can reveal character — we learn that Marilla has not smiled in a long time, and that Anne has already begun to change her.
Something like a reluctant smile, rather rusty from long disuse, mellowed Marilla's grim expression.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.
Discussion Questions
- Anne cries out, 'You don't want me because I'm not a boy!' Was it fair of Anne to say this to Matthew and Marilla, or was she being too dramatic? What in the story makes you think so?
- Anne asks to be called 'Cordelia' instead of her real name. Why does Anne want a different name? What does this tell us about how Anne sees herself? What in the story helps you understand?
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Said something suddenly and with strong feeling
Item 2
Glowing with light, bright and shining
Item 3
Extremely sad, like a great tragedy
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Critical Thinking
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