Anne of Green Gables · Chapter
A Queen's Girl explained
Anne prepares to leave for Queen's Academy, receiving a new green dress from Marilla and emotional farewells from Matthew and Marilla.
What happens
Anne prepares to leave for Queen's Academy, receiving a new green dress from Marilla and emotional farewells from Matthew and Marilla. In town, she experiences homesickness in her boardinghouse room but is visited by Josie Pye, Jane Andrews, and Ruby Gillis. Anne learns of the Avery scholarship opportunity and decides to pursue First Class work alongside Gilbert Blythe, while grappling with loneliness and the challenge of making new friends.
Themes in this chapter
Growth and Education
Anne's decision to take First Class work and pursue the Avery scholarship highlights her ambition and intellectual growth.
Belonging and Home
Anne's intense homesickness and longing for Green Gables underscore her deep sense of belonging and attachment to home.
Friendship and Community
The visits from Josie, Jane, and Ruby, as well as Anne's thoughts about making new friends, emphasize the importance of community and connection.
Characters to notice
- Anne Shirley
Anne leaves Green Gables for Queen's Academy, experiences homesickness, learns about the Avery scholarship, and decides to take First Class work.
- Marilla Cuthbert
Marilla gives Anne a green dress, expresses sadness at Anne's departure, and later weeps privately after Anne leaves.
- Matthew Cuthbert
Matthew drives Anne to town, reflects proudly on Anne's growth, and believes her arrival was providential.
- Diana Barry
Diana has a tearful parting with Anne and later goes to a beach picnic with Carmody cousins.
- Josie Pye
Josie visits Anne in her boardinghouse, teases her about homesickness, and shares news about the Avery scholarship.
- Jane Andrews
Jane visits Anne with Ruby, admits to crying from homesickness, and takes Second Class work.
- Ruby Gillis
Ruby visits Anne with Jane and takes Second Class work.
- Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert is in the same First Class as Anne, and Anne notices his determined chin and their ongoing rivalry.
Key passages
“I'm not a bit changed—not really. I'm only just pruned down and branched out. The real me —back here—is just the same.”
Anne reassures Marilla that despite her outward growth and change, her inner self remains the same.
Anne's metaphor of pruning and branching reflects her personal development while maintaining her core identity.
“She's been a blessing to us, and there never was a luckier mistake than what Mrs. Spencer made—if it was luck. I don't believe it was any such thing. It was Providence, because the Almighty saw we needed her, I reckon.”
Matthew reflects that Anne's arrival was not a mere mistake but a providential blessing.
Matthew's perspective underscores the theme of fate and the positive impact Anne has had on the Cuthberts.