# April's Lady explained — Anne of the Island

> Chapter companion for Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery.

## What happens

Anne and Priscilla explore Old St. John's Cemetery in Kingsport, where they meet Philippa Gordon, a fellow student from Redmond College. The three quickly become friends, sharing their feelings of insignificance and loneliness on their first day at Redmond.

## Themes in this chapter

### Friendship

Anne, Priscilla, and Philippa form an instant bond in the cemetery, overcoming initial shyness and loneliness.

### Home and Belonging

Anne and Priscilla struggle with feeling out of place at Redmond, longing for the familiarity of Queen's and Avonlea.

### Mortality and the Meaning of Life

Anne reflects on epitaphs in the cemetery, contemplating faithfulness and the legacy one leaves behind.

## Character check-ins

### Anne Shirley

Explores Old St. John's Cemetery with Priscilla, reflects on epitaphs, and feels insignificant at Redmond.

### Priscilla Grant

Accompanies Anne to the cemetery, feels awkward and oversized at Redmond, and helps befriend Philippa.

### Philippa Gordon

Introduced as a pretty, vivacious girl from Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia; she is indecisive but friendly and quickly bonds with Anne and Priscilla.

## Key lines

> We are all servants of some sort, and if the fact that we are faithful can be truthfully inscribed on our tombstones nothing more need be added.

Anne reflects that being remembered as faithful is the highest praise one can receive.

_Anne's philosophical observation while reading an epitaph in the cemetery._

> I can't describe how I felt when I was standing there, waiting my turn to be registered—as insignificant as the teeniest drop in a most enormous bucket.

Anne felt extremely small and unimportant while registering at Redmond.

_Anne expresses her feelings of insignificance on her first day at college._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anne_of_the_island_se/chapters/iv-april-s-lady
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anne_of_the_island_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anne_of_the_island_se/chapters