Anne of Green Gables — Chapter 3

About This Passage

Lucy Maud Montgomery sets the central argument of chapter three down in plain dialogue: Matthew is willing to keep Anne, Marilla is not, and the chapter ends without resolving the question. The passage holds three sturdy vocabulary words from the chapter — bewitched, persisted, despatched — and shows the reader Marilla's strict surface alongside Matthew's quiet, persistent counter-pressure. Copying this exchange teaches a writer how a chapter can argue with itself in dialogue rather than in narration.

Narration Prompt

Retell the events of chapter three from the moment Matthew opens the door of Green Gables to the moment Anne cries herself to sleep in the east gable room. Cover Marilla's first words, Anne's tears, the Cordelia request, the supper Anne could not eat, the bedtime in the gable room, and the kitchen conversation between Matthew and Marilla after Anne has gone upstairs.

Discussion Questions

1. Marilla Cuthbert's first words when she sees Anne are, 'Matthew Cuthbert, who's that? Where is the boy?' How does Lucy Maud Montgomery use Marilla's surprise to set up the central question of the chapter at Green Gables — whether to keep Anne or send her back to the asylum in Nova Scotia?
2. Anne tells Marilla, 'I'm in the depths of despair,' and refuses to eat supper at Green Gables. What does Anne's habit of using big words like 'tragical' and 'depths of despair' show us about how Anne handles strong feelings?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide