Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables

by

L. M. Montgomery

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Anne of Green Gables makes teaching easy.

Marilla Cuthbert Character Analysis

Marilla is a woman in her 50s who lives with her brother Matthew on the family homestead, Green Gables. She’s known for keeping a spotless home and being no-nonsense. Marilla is tall, thin, and rigid-looking, yet there’s a subtly humorous shape to her mouth. She and Matthew decide to adopt a little orphan boy to help Matthew around the farm, and when Anne—a girl—is brought by mistake, Marilla first rejects Anne as being of little use. But after hearing about Anne’s past neglect and observing that Anne is good-natured and teachable, she softens and agrees to accept her into their home. Marilla scoffs at Anne’s romantic and imaginative daydreams, preferring to stick to what she sees as sensible and practical. Though she often scolds Anne for her forgetfulness and “nonsense,” she often takes Anne’s side and is not inflexible—for instance, letting Anne study at home after Mr. Phillips is unjust to her. Over time, she develops a tender affection for Anne and can’t imagine life without her, though she refrains from showing it, for fear of spoiling Anne. After Matthew’s death, Marilla finally tells Anne how much she loves her. Shortly thereafter, Marilla’s eyesight starts to fail, and Anne decides to stay at home with her instead of moving away for college.

Marilla Cuthbert Quotes in Anne of Green Gables

The Anne of Green Gables quotes below are all either spoken by Marilla Cuthbert or refer to Marilla Cuthbert. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Home and Family Theme Icon
).
Chapter 3: Marilla Cuthbert Is Surprised Quotes

“Well, well, there’s no need to cry so about it.”

“Yes, there is need!” The child raised her head quickly, revealing a tear-stained face and trembling lips. “You would cry, too, if you were an orphan and had come to a place you thought was going to be home and found that they didn’t want you because you weren’t a boy. Oh, this is the most tragical thing that ever happened to me!”

Something like a reluctant smile, rather rusty from long disuse, mellowed Marilla's grim expression.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:

“Matthew Cuthbert, you don’t mean to say you think we ought to keep her!”

Marilla’s astonishment could not have been greater if Matthew had expressed a predilection for standing on his head.

“Well now, no, I suppose not—not exactly,” stammered Matthew, uncomfortably driven into a corner for his precise meaning. “I suppose—we could hardly be expected to keep her.”

“I should say not. What good would she be to us?”

“We might be some good to her,” said Matthew suddenly and unexpectedly.

Related Characters: Marilla Cuthbert (speaker), Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5: Anne’s History Quotes

Pity was suddenly stirring in her heart for the child. What a starved, unloved life she had had—a life of drudgery and poverty and neglect; for Marilla was shrewd enough to read between the lines of Anne’s history and divine the truth. No wonder she had been so delighted at the prospect of a real home. It was a pity she had to be sent back.

What if she, Marilla, should indulge Matthew's unaccountable whim and let her stay?

Related Characters: Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert, Matthew Cuthbert
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6: Marilla Makes Up Her Mind Quotes

“Humph! You don’t look as if there was much to you. But you’re wiry. I don’t know but that the wiry ones are the best after all. Well, if I take you you’ll have to be a good girl, you know—good and smart and respectful. I’ll expect you to earn your keep, and no mistake about that. Yes, I suppose I might as well take her off your hands, Miss Cuthbert. The baby’s awful fractious, and I’m clean worn out attending to him. If you like I can take her right home now.”

Related Characters: Mrs. Peter Blewett (speaker), Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

“It’d be more to the point if you could say she was a useful little thing,” retorted Marilla, “but I’ll make it my business to see she’s trained to be that. And mind, Matthew, you're not to go interfering with my methods. Perhaps an old maid doesn't know much about bringing up a child, but I guess she knows more than an old bachelor[.]”

“There, there, Marilla, you can have your own way,” said Matthew reassuringly. “Only be as good and kind to her as you can be without spoiling her. I kind of think she’s one of the sort you can do anything with, if you only get her to love you.”

Related Characters: Marilla Cuthbert (speaker), Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley
Page Number: 61
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7: Anne Says Her Prayers Quotes

“Don’t you know it’s a terrible wicked thing not to say your prayers every night? I’m afraid you are a very bad little girl.”

“You’d find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair,” said Anne reproachfully. “People who haven’t red hair don’t know what trouble is. Mrs. Thomas told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I’ve never cared about Him since.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Related Symbols: Red Hair
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10: Anne’s Apology Quotes

“It’s lovely to be going home and know it’s home,” she said. “I love Green Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed like home. Oh, Marilla, I’m so happy. I could pray right now and not find it a bit hard.”

Something warm and pleasant welled up in Marilla’s heart at the touch of that thin little hand in her own—a throb of the maternity she had missed, perhaps. Its very unaccustomedness and sweetness disturbed her.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22: Anne Is Invited Out to Tea Quotes

Marilla felt this and was vaguely troubled over it, realizing that the ups and downs of existence would probably bear hardly on this impulsive soul and not sufficiently understanding that the equally great capacity for delight might more than compensate. Therefore Marilla conceived it to be her duty to drill Anne into a tranquil uniformity of disposition as impossible and alien to her as to a dancing sunbeam in one of the brook shallows. […] Marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment. Neither would she have believed that she really liked Anne much better as she was.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 220
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27: Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Quotes

“Please cut it off at once, Marilla, and have it over. Oh, I feel that my heart is broken. This is such an unromantic affliction. The girls in books lose their hair in fevers or sell it to get money for some good deed, and I’m sure I wouldn’t mind losing my hair in some such fashion half so much. But there is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you’ve dyed it a dreadful color, is there? I’m going to weep all the time you’re cutting it off if it won’t interfere. It seems such a tragic thing.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Related Symbols: Red Hair
Page Number: 270
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31: Where the Brook and River Meet Quotes

“You don’t chatter half as much as you used to, Anne, nor use half as many big words. What has come over you?”

[…]

“I don't know—I don’t want to talk as much,” she said, denting her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger. “It’s nicer to think dear, pretty thoughts and keep them in one’s heart, like treasures. I don’t like to have them laughed at or wondered over. And somehow I don’t want to use big words any more. It’s almost a pity, isn’t it, now that I’m really growing big enough to say them if I did want to. It's fun to be almost grown up in some ways, but it’s not the kind of fun I expected, Marilla.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 34: A Queen’s Girl Quotes

Anne sat down on Marilla’s gingham lap, took Marilla’s lined face between her hands, and looked gravely and tenderly into Marilla’s eyes. “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. It won’t make a bit of difference where I go or how much I change outwardly. At heart I shall always be your little Anne, who will love you and Matthew and dear Green Gables more and better every day of her life.” […]

[Marilla] could only put her arms close about her girl and hold her tenderly to her heart, wishing that she need never let her go.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert, Matthew Cuthbert
Page Number: 343
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well now, I guess she ain’t been much spoiled,” he muttered proudly. “I guess my putting in my oar occasional never did much harm after all. She’s smart and pretty, and loving, too, which is better than all the rest. 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.”

Related Characters: Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert, Mrs. Alexander Spencer
Page Number: 343
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38: The Bend in the Road Quotes

“I’m just as ambitious as ever. Only I’ve changed the object of my ambitions. I’m going to be a good teacher—and I’m going to save your eyesight. Besides, I mean to study at home here and take a little college course all by myself. Oh, I’ve dozens of plans, Marilla. I’ve been thinking them out for a week. I shall give life here my best, and I believe it will give its best to me in return. When I left Queen’s, my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis:
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Marilla Cuthbert Quotes in Anne of Green Gables

The Anne of Green Gables quotes below are all either spoken by Marilla Cuthbert or refer to Marilla Cuthbert. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Home and Family Theme Icon
).
Chapter 3: Marilla Cuthbert Is Surprised Quotes

“Well, well, there’s no need to cry so about it.”

“Yes, there is need!” The child raised her head quickly, revealing a tear-stained face and trembling lips. “You would cry, too, if you were an orphan and had come to a place you thought was going to be home and found that they didn’t want you because you weren’t a boy. Oh, this is the most tragical thing that ever happened to me!”

Something like a reluctant smile, rather rusty from long disuse, mellowed Marilla's grim expression.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Page Number: 30
Explanation and Analysis:

“Matthew Cuthbert, you don’t mean to say you think we ought to keep her!”

Marilla’s astonishment could not have been greater if Matthew had expressed a predilection for standing on his head.

“Well now, no, I suppose not—not exactly,” stammered Matthew, uncomfortably driven into a corner for his precise meaning. “I suppose—we could hardly be expected to keep her.”

“I should say not. What good would she be to us?”

“We might be some good to her,” said Matthew suddenly and unexpectedly.

Related Characters: Marilla Cuthbert (speaker), Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5: Anne’s History Quotes

Pity was suddenly stirring in her heart for the child. What a starved, unloved life she had had—a life of drudgery and poverty and neglect; for Marilla was shrewd enough to read between the lines of Anne’s history and divine the truth. No wonder she had been so delighted at the prospect of a real home. It was a pity she had to be sent back.

What if she, Marilla, should indulge Matthew's unaccountable whim and let her stay?

Related Characters: Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert, Matthew Cuthbert
Page Number: 52
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6: Marilla Makes Up Her Mind Quotes

“Humph! You don’t look as if there was much to you. But you’re wiry. I don’t know but that the wiry ones are the best after all. Well, if I take you you’ll have to be a good girl, you know—good and smart and respectful. I’ll expect you to earn your keep, and no mistake about that. Yes, I suppose I might as well take her off your hands, Miss Cuthbert. The baby’s awful fractious, and I’m clean worn out attending to him. If you like I can take her right home now.”

Related Characters: Mrs. Peter Blewett (speaker), Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

“It’d be more to the point if you could say she was a useful little thing,” retorted Marilla, “but I’ll make it my business to see she’s trained to be that. And mind, Matthew, you're not to go interfering with my methods. Perhaps an old maid doesn't know much about bringing up a child, but I guess she knows more than an old bachelor[.]”

“There, there, Marilla, you can have your own way,” said Matthew reassuringly. “Only be as good and kind to her as you can be without spoiling her. I kind of think she’s one of the sort you can do anything with, if you only get her to love you.”

Related Characters: Marilla Cuthbert (speaker), Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley
Page Number: 61
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7: Anne Says Her Prayers Quotes

“Don’t you know it’s a terrible wicked thing not to say your prayers every night? I’m afraid you are a very bad little girl.”

“You’d find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair,” said Anne reproachfully. “People who haven’t red hair don’t know what trouble is. Mrs. Thomas told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I’ve never cared about Him since.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Related Symbols: Red Hair
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10: Anne’s Apology Quotes

“It’s lovely to be going home and know it’s home,” she said. “I love Green Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed like home. Oh, Marilla, I’m so happy. I could pray right now and not find it a bit hard.”

Something warm and pleasant welled up in Marilla’s heart at the touch of that thin little hand in her own—a throb of the maternity she had missed, perhaps. Its very unaccustomedness and sweetness disturbed her.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22: Anne Is Invited Out to Tea Quotes

Marilla felt this and was vaguely troubled over it, realizing that the ups and downs of existence would probably bear hardly on this impulsive soul and not sufficiently understanding that the equally great capacity for delight might more than compensate. Therefore Marilla conceived it to be her duty to drill Anne into a tranquil uniformity of disposition as impossible and alien to her as to a dancing sunbeam in one of the brook shallows. […] Marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment. Neither would she have believed that she really liked Anne much better as she was.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 220
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27: Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Quotes

“Please cut it off at once, Marilla, and have it over. Oh, I feel that my heart is broken. This is such an unromantic affliction. The girls in books lose their hair in fevers or sell it to get money for some good deed, and I’m sure I wouldn’t mind losing my hair in some such fashion half so much. But there is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you’ve dyed it a dreadful color, is there? I’m going to weep all the time you’re cutting it off if it won’t interfere. It seems such a tragic thing.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Related Symbols: Red Hair
Page Number: 270
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 31: Where the Brook and River Meet Quotes

“You don’t chatter half as much as you used to, Anne, nor use half as many big words. What has come over you?”

[…]

“I don't know—I don’t want to talk as much,” she said, denting her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger. “It’s nicer to think dear, pretty thoughts and keep them in one’s heart, like treasures. I don’t like to have them laughed at or wondered over. And somehow I don’t want to use big words any more. It’s almost a pity, isn’t it, now that I’m really growing big enough to say them if I did want to. It's fun to be almost grown up in some ways, but it’s not the kind of fun I expected, Marilla.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert (speaker)
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 34: A Queen’s Girl Quotes

Anne sat down on Marilla’s gingham lap, took Marilla’s lined face between her hands, and looked gravely and tenderly into Marilla’s eyes. “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. It won’t make a bit of difference where I go or how much I change outwardly. At heart I shall always be your little Anne, who will love you and Matthew and dear Green Gables more and better every day of her life.” […]

[Marilla] could only put her arms close about her girl and hold her tenderly to her heart, wishing that she need never let her go.

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert, Matthew Cuthbert
Page Number: 343
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well now, I guess she ain’t been much spoiled,” he muttered proudly. “I guess my putting in my oar occasional never did much harm after all. She’s smart and pretty, and loving, too, which is better than all the rest. 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.”

Related Characters: Matthew Cuthbert (speaker), Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert, Mrs. Alexander Spencer
Page Number: 343
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38: The Bend in the Road Quotes

“I’m just as ambitious as ever. Only I’ve changed the object of my ambitions. I’m going to be a good teacher—and I’m going to save your eyesight. Besides, I mean to study at home here and take a little college course all by myself. Oh, I’ve dozens of plans, Marilla. I’ve been thinking them out for a week. I shall give life here my best, and I believe it will give its best to me in return. When I left Queen’s, my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does.”

Related Characters: Anne Shirley (speaker), Marilla Cuthbert
Page Number: 378
Explanation and Analysis: