Summary—Chapter 5: Anne’s History
Anne announces that she is determined to enjoy the ride
back to Mrs. Spencer’s orphanage. Marilla, realizing that Anne must
talk about something, decides to pick the topic herself, and asks
Anne about her past. Anne says she would prefer to tell what she
imagines about herself, as her imagination is so much richer than
her history, but she agrees to tell her story. Her parents, Walter
and Bertha Shirley, were teachers, and both died of fever when Anne
was a baby. She was adopted by Mrs. Thomas, a poor woman with a
drunken husband, who wanted Anne only so she would have help with
her children. Eight years later, after the death of Mr. Thomas,
Mrs. Thomas gave Anne to another poor woman, Mrs. Hammond, and Anne cared
for Mrs. Hammond’s three sets of twins. After two years, Mr. Hammond
died, and Anne was sent to the orphanage, where she lived for four
months. She received little schooling but compensated for her lack
of formal education by reading voraciously.
After hearing Anne’s sad history, Marilla pities her
for the first time. Anne, however, refuses to feel sorry for herself,
crediting her various foster mothers with good intentions, even
if the women were not always kind. Marilla begins to consider keeping
Anne. She thinks Anne ladylike and supposes Anne could easily be
trained out of her bad habits.
Summary—Chapter 6: Marilla Makes Up Her Mind
Marilla and Anne arrive at Mrs. Spencer’s orphanage and
explain the mistake. Mrs. Spencer apologizes and says that the situation
will work out for the best anyway. Another woman, Mrs. Peter Blewett, wants
to adopt a girl to help with her rambunctious children, so Anne
can be handed over to her, allowing the Cuthberts to adopt the boy
they originally wanted. This news does not please Marilla, for Mrs.
Blewett is known for her nastiness and stinginess, and for driving
her servants hard. Marilla feels a twinge of guilt at the thought
of relinquishing Anne to her. Mrs. Blewett comes to borrow a recipe from
Mrs. Spencer, and her presence terrifies Anne. Marilla takes Anne
back to Green Gables, saying she needs time to think about the proposition.
At home, she tells Matthew that she is willing to keep
Anne if he agrees not to interfere with her child-rearing methods.
Marilla admits to nervousness at the prospect of raising a girl
but tells Matthew, “Perhaps an old maid doesn’t know much about
bringing up a child, but I guess she knows more than an old bachelor.”
Matthew, delighted by Marilla’s decision, asks only that Marilla
be good and kind to Anne. Marilla reflects that she has invited
a challenge into her life. She cannot quite believe what she is
about to do, and she is even more surprised that Matthew, famous
for his fear of women, is so adamant about keeping Anne. She decides
to wait until the following day to tell Anne of their decision.
Summary—Chapter 7: Anne Says Her Prayers
At bedtime, Marilla begins her program of moral and social
education for Anne. She scolds Anne for leaving her clothes all
over the floor the previous night and for failing to pray before
bed. Anne replies that she has never said a prayer and does not
know how to pray, though she would be happy to learn. Anne begins
to ruminate on the language of prayer and religion. At the asylum,
she was taught that God is “infinite, eternal, and unchangeable,”
a description she thought grand. She explains that she rejected
God because Mrs. Thomas told her God gave her red hair on purpose.
Despite her distaste for God, Anne wants to oblige Marilla. Marilla,
horrified that a near-heathen is staying under her roof, begins
to teach Anne the prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep,” but she senses
that this prayer for innocent children is inappropriate for Anne,
who has already had such a hard life. She lets Anne create her own
prayer, and Anne improvises a flowery speech thanking God for such
gifts as Bonny the geranium and the White Way of Delight, which
is what she calls the main road of Avonlea. She prays for Green
Gables to become her home, and to become pretty when she grows up.
She ends the prayer by saying, “Yours respectfully, Anne Shirley.”
Marilla resolves to send Anne to Sunday school as soon as she can
make her some proper clothes.
