Marilla Cuthbert  -  An unmarried woman who raises Anne. Marilla lives at Green Gables with her unmarried brother, Matthew. Marilla is all angles and straight lines, with a stern face and tightly knotted hair. This physical severity mirrors her moral and emotional severity. Although Marilla does not usually express emotion, underneath she has a wry sense of humor and a loving heart. Although she raises Anne strictly, she loves her adopted daughter, and by the end of the novel she has become softer and more expressive.