Anne of Green Gables · Chapter
Anne Says Her Prayers explained
Marilla instructs Anne on proper bedtime habits and is shocked to learn Anne has never said prayers.
What happens
Marilla instructs Anne on proper bedtime habits and is shocked to learn Anne has never said prayers. Anne recites the catechism but reveals her resentment toward God for making her hair red. Marilla insists she pray, and Anne offers an unconventional, imaginative prayer thanking God for the natural beauty she has named and asking to stay at Green Gables and become good-looking. Marilla, both exasperated and amused, resolves to begin Anne's religious education.
Themes in this chapter
Imagination and Creativity
Anne transforms the act of prayer into a creative, personal expression, thanking God for her own poetic names for places and crafting a prayer that feels genuine to her imaginative spirit.
Identity and Self-Acceptance
Anne's resentment over her red hair and her plea to be good-looking reveal her struggle with self-image and her desire for acceptance, a key aspect of her developing identity.
Belonging and Home
Anne's heartfelt request to stay at Green Gables underscores her deep yearning for a permanent home and a place where she is loved and accepted.
Characters to notice
- Anne Shirley
Reveals her imaginative and candid nature through her unconventional prayer, expressing gratitude for her renamed natural surroundings and her desires to stay at Green Gables and become pretty.
- Marilla Cuthbert
Struggles with Anne's lack of religious training and untidiness, but shows a glimmer of humor and adaptability as she decides to teach Anne proper prayers and send her to Sunday school.
- Matthew Cuthbert
Present in the kitchen at the end, silently observing Marilla's exasperation with Anne's spiritual ignorance.
Key passages
“I never say any prayers.”
Anne admits she has never prayed before.
This revelation shocks Marilla and sets the stage for Anne's first attempt at prayer.
“Gracious heavenly Father, I thank Thee for the White Way of Delight and the Lake of Shining Waters and Bonny and the Snow Queen.”
Anne thanks God for the beautiful places she has named herself.
Anne's prayer reflects her imaginative connection to nature and her unique way of expressing gratitude.
“Please let me stay at Green Gables; and please let me be good-looking when I grow up.”
Anne asks God to allow her to remain at Green Gables and to become pretty.
This reveals Anne's deepest desires: a permanent home and acceptance of her appearance.