Plot Summary:
In this passage from Anne of Green Gables, Anne tells Marilla that she cannot go through the
nearby spruce wood because it is haunted. Anne and her friend Diana had invented the idea of
the Haunted Wood for fun, adding stories about ghosts, wailing ladies, and headless specters.
While Anne confesses that she doesn't fully believe in the ghosts during the daytime, her fear is
very real after dark.
Marilla dismisses Anne's fears, insisting that there are no such things as ghosts. She decides that
Anne must walk through the Haunted Wood alone to cure her of her wild imagination. Despite
Anne’s pleas and her genuine terror, Marilla is firm in her decision.
Reluctantly, Anne makes the journey through the spooky wood, her imagination making the
experience terrifying. Every noise and movement in the dark seems like a ghostly figure coming
to life. When she reaches her destination, Mr. Barry’s house, she barely has time to catch her
breath before returning home, still terrified. Upon arriving safely, Anne admits to Marilla that
she will now be content with more “commonplace” places, having learned a lesson from her
frightening experience.
Analysis:
This passage highlights several important themes in Anne of Green Gables, including the tension
between imagination and reality, the development of character, and the clash of personalities
between Anne and Marilla.
1. Imagination vs. Reality:
o Anne’s vivid imagination is central to her character, but it is also a double-edged sword.
In this scene, what started as a playful game with Diana has spiraled into genuine fear.
Anne acknowledges that the haunted wood is a figment of her imagination, yet she
can’t shake her fear once the sun sets. The passage explores how the imagination can
distort reality, especially when fueled by fear or loneliness.
o Marilla represents the opposite of Anne’s whimsical nature. Her pragmatic, no-
nonsense attitude toward life clashes with Anne’s fantastical thinking. Marilla’s refusal
to entertain Anne’s ghost stories reveals her determination to teach Anne the
importance of facing reality, even when it’s uncomfortable.
2. Character Development:
o Anne’s reluctance and fear in walking through the Haunted Wood show the depth of her
emotions and the strong influence of her imagination. Despite her usual confidence, her
terror here is real, reminding readers of her vulnerability.
o Marilla’s stern insistence that Anne go through the wood can be seen as an attempt to
teach her discipline. Marilla is determined to help Anne rein in her imagination,
believing that it sometimes gets her into trouble. This incident becomes a teaching
moment for Anne, forcing her to confront her fears head-on.
o By the end of the passage, Anne has grown slightly—she vows to be content with
“commonplace” places in the future, realizing that her imagination, though entertaining,
has made her overly fearful.
3. The Clash of Personalities:
o The contrast between Anne and Marilla’s perspectives is one of the key dynamics in the
novel. Anne’s creative and dreamlike nature is often at odds with Marilla’s practicality.
Marilla’s harsh method of forcing Anne to walk through the wood illustrates her belief in
tough love, but it also shows that Marilla doesn’t fully understand the depth of Anne’s
imaginative world.
o This scene also illustrates how adults and children often perceive the world differently.
What Marilla dismisses as "nonsense" is very real to Anne, revealing how imagination
can shape one’s experience of the world.
4. Themes of Childhood Fear:
o The passage taps into common childhood fears—darkness, isolation, and the unknown.
Anne’s imagined “ghosts” reflect how children often fear things that don’t exist, but the
fear feels real. Montgomery uses this fear to explore the richness of Anne’s inner world
while also emphasizing how it can sometimes lead her astray.
o The journey through the Haunted Wood becomes a metaphor for confronting one’s
fears, a theme that resonates with both children and adults. Anne’s terror is palpable as
she walks the path, her imagination turning harmless things—like birch bark and the
wind—into frightening specters.
Conclusion:
This passage offers insight into the complex character of Anne, whose imagination makes her
both a source of delight and frustration to those around her. It also showcases the growing
relationship between Anne and Marilla, who seeks to mold Anne into a more practical and
sensible young girl. The tension between Anne’s imaginative world and Marilla’s insistence on
reality is at the heart of this scene, highlighting the broader theme of how we balance creativity
and practicality in our lives.
Anne of Green Gables is rich with literary devices that enhance its emotional depth and thematic
resonance. Below are some key literary devices used by L. M. Montgomery in this excerpt:
literary devices
1. Imagery:
Definition: Imagery is the use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the
senses.
Example: Anne’s description of the Haunted Wood is filled with sensory details, creating
a dark, eerie atmosphere. For instance, she describes a “white lady” who “utters wailing
cries” and “a headless man” who “stalks up and down the path,” which helps to paint a
haunting mental picture for the reader. The imagery of "cold fingers" and "white things"
grabbing her is vivid and tangible.
Effect: The use of imagery emphasizes the intensity of Anne's fear and her vivid
imagination, making the Haunted Wood come alive in the reader's mind.
2. Personification:
Definition: Personification is giving human qualities to non-human objects or abstract
concepts.
Example: Anne personifies her fears when she says, "the goblins of her fancy lurked in
every shadow about her." In reality, there are no goblins, but her imagination makes the
shadows seem alive, like creatures waiting to pounce.
Effect: This use of personification illustrates how powerful and overwhelming Anne’s
imagination is, almost as if her fears have taken on a life of their own.
3. Hyperbole:
Definition: Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
Example: Anne’s fear is exaggerated to a comical and dramatic level, such as when she
talks about “skeletons glowering at you between the boughs” or how a “white thing”
might “snatch her up.”
Effect: This hyperbole emphasizes the extremity of Anne’s imaginative world and her
flair for the dramatic, which is a hallmark of her personality. It also creates a humorous
contrast between Anne’s exaggerated fear and Marilla’s no-nonsense practicality.
4. Dialogue:
Definition: Dialogue is the spoken exchanges between characters.
Example: The conversation between Anne and Marilla showcases their contrasting
personalities. Anne's frantic, imaginative speech ("Oh, Marilla, it gives me a shudder to
think of it") is juxtaposed with Marilla’s firm and practical responses ("There are no such
things as ghosts, Anne").
Effect: The dialogue reveals character traits and highlights the tension between
imagination (Anne) and reality (Marilla). It also drives the plot forward, especially when
Marilla decides to send Anne through the wood to cure her of her fear.
5. Tone:
Definition: Tone refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject or characters.
Example: The tone in this passage shifts from humorous to suspenseful. Montgomery
uses a light, almost teasing tone when describing Anne’s exaggerated fear and Marilla’s
exasperation. However, as Anne walks through the wood, the tone becomes more
suspenseful and tense, mirroring Anne’s growing terror.
Effect: The shifting tone creates emotional variety in the passage, moving from humor to
fear, making it both entertaining and engaging for readers.
6. Irony:
Definition: Irony is when there is a contrast between expectations and reality.
Example: There is irony in the fact that Anne, who knows the Haunted Wood is a
product of her own imagination, is still terrified by it. Despite creating these stories for
amusement, she becomes genuinely afraid of the very ghosts she invented.
Effect: The irony highlights the power of the imagination and how it can affect one’s
perception of reality. It also adds a layer of humor, as Anne’s creative mind gets her into
trouble.
7. Foreshadowing:
Definition: Foreshadowing is a literary device where the writer gives an advance hint of
what is to come later in the story.
Example: Marilla’s strict decision to make Anne walk through the Haunted Wood
foreshadows the lesson Anne will learn. Anne says, "What would you feel like if a white
thing did snatch me up and carry me off?" Marilla responds, "I'll risk it," suggesting
Marilla’s confidence that Anne’s fears will not come true.
Effect: This foreshadows Anne’s ultimate safe return from the wood and the lesson that
will come from facing her fears.
8. Symbolism:
Definition: Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Example: The Haunted Wood can be seen as a symbol of fear and the unknown. It
represents the exaggerated and irrational fears that people, especially children, often
create in their minds. By walking through it, Anne faces her own inner fears.
Effect: The Haunted Wood symbolizes the growth and maturity that comes from
confronting one’s fears. By making Anne face the wood, Marilla is teaching her a
valuable lesson about distinguishing between imagination and reality.
9. Allusion:
Definition: Allusion is a reference to another text, figure, or event.
Example: Anne’s reference to a “white lady” and “ghosts” alludes to common ghost
folklore, which typically features such figures as warnings of death or tragedy.
Effect: This allusion adds to the romantic and dramatic qualities of Anne’s imaginative
world, as she draws from well-known ghost story tropes to build her own narrative about
the Haunted Wood.
10. Simile:
Definition: A simile is a comparison using "like" or "as."
Example: Anne compares the “cold fingers” of the imagined murdered child to the
feeling of something “creeping up behind you.”
Effect: The simile makes Anne’s fear more relatable and vivid, as readers can easily
picture the sensation of something cold and eerie touching their hand.
11. Metaphor:
Definition: A metaphor is a comparison between two things without using "like" or "as."
Example: Anne refers to the "goblins of her fancy," which metaphorically represents her
fearful thoughts. These goblins are not real, but her imagination gives them life in her
mind.
Effect: The metaphor emphasizes how Anne's imagination has run wild, creating a world
where her thoughts become real threats in her mind.
Conclusion:
The use of these literary devices in this passage from Anne of Green Gables enriches the
narrative by creating vivid, emotional, and humorous moments. Through imagery,
personification, and hyperbole, Montgomery effectively conveys Anne’s terror and vivid
imagination, while the dialogue and tone further illustrate the character contrasts between Anne
and Marilla. These devices make the passage a compelling exploration of imagination, fear, and
the process of growing up.
Literal Questions (Focusing on Understanding the Text):
1. What is Anne afraid of in the Haunted Wood?
2. How does Anne describe the "white lady" and the "headless man"?
3. What does Marilla think of Anne’s fears?
4. Why does Marilla insist that Anne walk through the Haunted Wood alone?
5. What is Anne’s reaction when Marilla tells her to go through the wood by herself?
Inferential Questions (Encouraging Deeper Thinking):
1. Why do you think Anne creates such vivid, frightening images in her mind about the
Haunted Wood?
2. How does Anne’s imagination affect her experience of reality? Give examples from the
text.
3. Why does Marilla respond in a calm, no-nonsense way to Anne’s fears? What does this
suggest about her character?
4. What lesson do you think Marilla is trying to teach Anne by making her walk through the
Haunted Wood?
5. Do you think Anne's fears were justified, or were they an overreaction? Why?
Analytical Questions (Focusing on Literary Devices and Themes):
1. What role does Anne’s imagination play in this passage? How does it affect her
emotions?
2. Find examples of personification in Anne’s description of the Haunted Wood. How does
this literary device enhance the scene?
3. How does the use of dialogue in this passage reveal the differences between Anne and
Marilla?
4. Explain how the tone shifts throughout the passage. What effect does this have on the
reader’s experience?
5. What is the significance of the Haunted Wood in Anne’s development as a character?
Creative Response (Encouraging Personal Engagement):
1. If you were in Anne's situation, how would you have reacted? Would you have walked
through the wood alone? Why or why not?
2. Anne uses her imagination to make the wood seem scarier than it really is. Can you think
of a time when your imagination made a situation seem more frightening than it actually
was? Describe the experience.
3. How would the scene change if Marilla decided to walk through the wood with Anne
instead? Write a short dialogue between Anne and Marilla as they walk through the
Haunted Wood together.
Here are "Who said to whom?" questions based on the passage from Anne of Green Gables:
1. "I'll have to go around by the road, then."
2. "Go by the road and waste half an hour! I'd like to catch you!"
3. "I can't go through the Haunted Wood, Marilla."
4. "The Haunted Wood! Are you crazy? What under the canopy is the Haunted
Wood?"
5. "Fiddlesticks! There is no such thing as a haunted wood anywhere."
6. "Oh, Marilla, how can you be so cruel?"
7. "Did ever anyone hear the like!"
8. "You'll go right over to Barry's, and you'll go through that spruce grove, just for a
lesson and a warning to you."
9. "Oh, Marilla, I'll be contented with commonplace places after this."
10. "Well, so nothing caught you?"