Article #544-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Anne's House of Dreams, by L. M. Montgomery

Anne could hardly discard it completely, for there were undoubtedly
times when she felt, with an instinct that was not to be combated by
reason, that Leslie harbored a queer, indefinable resentment towards
her. At times, this secret consciousness marred the delight of their
comradeship; at others it was almost forgotten; but Anne always felt
the hidden thorn was there, and might prick her at any moment. She
felt a cruel sting from it on the day when she told Leslie of what she
hoped the spring would bring to the little house of dreams. Leslie
looked at her with hard, bitter, unfriendly eyes.

“So you are to have THAT, too,” she said in a choked voice. And
without another word she had turned and gone across the fields
homeward. Anne was deeply hurt; for the moment she felt as if she
could never like Leslie again. But when Leslie came over a few
evenings later she was so pleasant, so friendly, so frank, and witty,
and winsome, that Anne was charmed into forgiveness and forgetfulness.
Only, she never mentioned her darling hope to Leslie again; nor did
Leslie ever refer to it. But one evening, when late winter was
listening for the word of spring, she came over to the little house for
a twilight chat; and when she went away she left a small, white box on
the table. Anne found it after she was gone and opened it wonderingly.
In it was a tiny white dress of exquisite workmanship--delicate
embroidery, wonderful tucking, sheer loveliness. Every stitch in it
was handwork; and the little frills of lace at neck and sleeves were of
real Valenciennes. Lying on it was a card--“with Leslie’s love.”

“What hours of work she must have put on it,” said Anne. “And the
material must have cost more than she could really afford. It is very
sweet of her.”

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery**

Context of the Source

Anne’s House of Dreams (1917) is the fifth book in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved Anne of Green Gables series. It follows Anne Shirley, now a young married woman, as she and her husband, Gilbert Blythe, settle into their first home in the coastal village of Four Winds, Prince Edward Island. The novel explores themes of love, friendship, loss, and the complexities of adult relationships, moving beyond the childhood and adolescent adventures of earlier books.

A central relationship in the novel is Anne’s friendship with Leslie Moore, a woman of striking beauty, intelligence, and emotional depth, but also one burdened by a tragic past. Leslie’s life has been marked by suffering—an unhappy marriage, the loss of a child, and a strained relationship with her husband’s family. Despite her warmth and charm, she carries deep bitterness and envy, which occasionally surface in her interactions with Anne.

Analysis of the Excerpt

1. The Unspoken Resentment: Anne’s Perception of Leslie

The passage opens with Anne’s internal conflict regarding Leslie’s hidden resentment:

"Anne could hardly discard it completely, for there were undoubtedly times when she felt, with an instinct that was not to be combated by reason, that Leslie harbored a queer, indefinable resentment towards her."

Psychological Realism: Montgomery excels at depicting the nuances of female friendship, particularly the unspoken tensions that arise even between close friends. Anne’s awareness of Leslie’s resentment is instinctual—she cannot rationalize it away, suggesting that some emotions defy logic.
The "Hidden Thorn" Metaphor: The phrase "hidden thorn" is a powerful metaphor for the lingering pain in their relationship. Thorns suggest something sharp, sudden, and painful, yet small enough to be overlooked until it pricks. This imagery reinforces the idea that Leslie’s resentment is dormant but always present, capable of surfacing at unexpected moments.
Themes of Envy and Comparison: Leslie’s bitterness likely stems from envy—Anne has the happy marriage, the promising future, and the "little house of dreams" that Leslie herself may have once desired. The text hints that Leslie’s life has been marked by denied happiness, making Anne’s joys a painful contrast.

2. The Outburst: Leslie’s Bitter Reaction

The tension erupts when Anne shares her hopes for spring (implied to be the expectation of a child):

“So you are to have THAT, too,” she said in a choked voice. And without another word she had turned and gone across the fields homeward.

Dramatic Irony: The reader (and Anne) may not yet fully understand why Leslie reacts so strongly, but the choked voice and abrupt departure signal deep emotional turmoil. Leslie’s words—"THAT, too"—suggest that Anne’s happiness is one more thing Leslie feels she has been denied.
Leslie’s Unspoken Pain: Her reaction implies a personal loss—likely the death of her own child (revealed earlier in the novel). Anne’s joy is a trigger, reminding Leslie of what she has lost. The silence and sudden exit emphasize the unbridgeable gap in their understanding at this moment.
Anne’s Hurt and Temporary Resentment:
"Anne was deeply hurt; for the moment she felt as if she could never like Leslie again." This shows that even the most forgiving and empathetic people (like Anne) can feel betrayed by sudden hostility. However, Anne’s capacity for forgiveness is tested almost immediately.

3. Reconciliation and the Gift: Love and Guilt

Leslie’s return is marked by charm and warmth, as if the outburst never happened:

"But when Leslie came over a few evenings later she was so pleasant, so friendly, so frank, and witty, and winsome, that Anne was charmed into forgiveness and forgetfulness."

Leslie’s Dual Nature: Leslie’s ability to shift between bitterness and warmth is a key aspect of her character. She is not villainous, but deeply wounded, and her behavior oscillates between generosity and resentment.
Anne’s Forgiveness: Anne’s quick forgiveness reflects her optimistic and loving nature, but the text notes that she never mentions her "darling hope" again, suggesting a lingering caution. The friendship is restored but not fully healed—the "hidden thorn" remains.

4. The Gift: A Symbol of Complex Emotion

The climax of the excerpt is Leslie’s gift of the baby dress:

"In it was a tiny white dress of exquisite workmanship... Every stitch in it was handwork; and the little frills of lace at neck and sleeves were of real Valenciennes. Lying on it was a card—‘with Leslie’s love.’"

Symbolism of the Dress:
- Labor of Love: The dress represents hours of meticulous work, suggesting Leslie’s deep (if conflicted) affection for Anne. The handwork and expensive lace indicate sacrifice—she has spent time and money she could ill afford.
- Ambivalence: The gift is both generous and painful. It may be Leslie’s way of acknowledging Anne’s happiness while also participating in it vicariously, since she cannot have the same joy herself.
- Atonement: The dress could be an unspoken apology for her earlier outburst, a way to reaffirm her love despite her jealousy.
Anne’s Reaction:
“What hours of work she must have put on it… It is very sweet of her.” Anne focuses on the positive intent, but the reader senses the underlying sadness—Leslie’s gift is beautiful but bittersweet, a reminder of what she has lost.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Complexity of Female Friendship:
- Montgomery portrays friendship as not always smooth or simple. Even deep bonds can be marred by envy, unspoken pain, and moments of betrayal.
- Anne and Leslie’s relationship is both nourishing and wounding, reflecting the realistic dynamics of adult relationships.
The Burden of Unspoken Pain:
- Leslie’s resentment and sorrow are rarely expressed directly, yet they shape her interactions. The "hidden thorn" metaphor encapsulates how unresolved grief can linger and prick unexpectedly.
- Anne, though empathetic, cannot fully understand Leslie’s pain, highlighting the limits of sympathy.
Joy and Sorrow Intertwined:
- Anne’s happiness is shadowed by Leslie’s loss. The baby dress is a symbol of both celebration and mourning, illustrating how life’s joys are often accompanied by others’ sorrows.
Forgiveness and Its Limits:
- Anne forgives Leslie, but not without caution. The friendship continues, but some wounds remain unhealed, showing that forgiveness does not always mean forgetting.

Literary Devices

Metaphor:
- "Hidden thorn" → Represents lingering resentment and potential pain.
- "Listening for the word of spring" → Personifies winter as eager for renewal, mirroring Anne’s hopes.
Symbolism:
- The baby dress → Represents hope, love, and sacrifice, but also Leslie’s unresolved grief.
- The white box → Purity, but also something fragile and precious.
Irony:
- Dramatic Irony: The reader may infer Leslie’s past losses, while Anne remains partially unaware of the depth of her pain.
- Situational Irony: Leslie’s generous gift comes from a place of both love and envy.
Imagery:
- "Hard, bitter, unfriendly eyes" → Creates a visceral sense of Leslie’s sudden hostility.
- "Delicate embroidery, wonderful tucking, sheer loveliness" → Evokes the beauty and care in the dress, contrasting with the emotional weight behind it.
Characterization:
- Anne: Optimistic, forgiving, but not naive—she recognizes the "thorn" even as she chooses to overlook it.
- Leslie: Complex, contradictory—capable of warmth and cruelty, generosity and envy.

Significance of the Excerpt

This passage is pivotal in understanding the depth and fragility of Anne and Leslie’s friendship. It illustrates:

The cost of empathy: Anne must navigate Leslie’s pain without fully comprehending it.
The reality of adult relationships: Unlike the idealized friendships of childhood (e.g., Anne and Diana), adult bonds are messier, marked by unspoken tensions.
The power of small gestures: The baby dress is a tiny but profound act of love, showing how even wounded people can give beautifully.

Montgomery does not romanticize friendship here; instead, she presents it as a mix of joy, pain, and quiet endurance—a theme that resonates with readers who recognize the complexities of human connection.

Conclusion

This excerpt is a masterful portrayal of emotional ambiguity. Through subtle metaphor, sharp dialogue, and rich symbolism, Montgomery captures the delicate balance between love and resentment in Anne and Leslie’s relationship. The "hidden thorn" remains—never fully removed, but not fatal to their bond—a testament to the resilience and imperfection of human connections.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Leslie’s gift of the baby dress is most effectively read as an example of which of the following paradoxes?

A. A gesture of reconciliation that inadvertently deepens the emotional rift between the characters.
B. An act of love that is simultaneously an expression of unresolved grief and vicarious participation in another’s joy.
C. A symbolic rejection of Anne’s happiness, disguised as a magnanimous offering.
D. A calculated attempt to manipulate Anne’s perceptions of Leslie’s true feelings.
E. An impulsive reaction to guilt, lacking the deliberation suggested by the dress’s intricate craftsmanship.

Question 2

The phrase "hidden thorn" functions primarily to evoke which of the following ideas about Anne and Leslie’s relationship?

A. The inevitability of betrayal in even the most sincere friendships.
B. The superficiality of conflicts that arise from misunderstandings rather than genuine emotional wounds.
C. The idea that Leslie’s resentment is a fabricated construct of Anne’s imagination.
D. The persistent, if dormant, potential for pain within a relationship that is otherwise nourishing.
E. The notion that Anne’s optimism is the true barrier to deeper emotional intimacy with Leslie.

Question 3

Leslie’s exclamation—"So you are to have THAT, too"—is most thematically resonant with which of the following literary concepts?

A. The tragic flaw of hubris, wherein a character’s happiness invites divine retribution.
B. The pathetic fallacy of nature mirroring human emotion, as seen in the "late winter listening for spring."
C. The Aristotelian concept of catharsis, where Leslie’s outburst purges her repressed emotions.
D. The biblical and mythological trope of the "barren woman’s envy," wherein fertility and joy are sources of bitterness for the childless or grieving.
E. The modernist idea of existential isolation, where characters are fundamentally unable to comprehend one another’s suffering.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the narrative function of the shift in Leslie’s demeanor—from her abrupt departure after the outburst to her later "pleasant, friendly, frank, and witty" visit?

A. To illustrate Leslie’s emotional instability and undermine her reliability as a character.
B. To suggest that Anne’s perception of Leslie’s resentment is largely imaginary.
C. To reinforce the theme that time and distance are sufficient to heal all emotional wounds.
D. To portray Leslie as a manipulative figure who uses charm to mask her true feelings.
E. To highlight the complexity of human emotion, where genuine affection and lingering pain can coexist and manifest in contradictory behaviors.

Question 5

The passage’s closing lines—"What hours of work she must have put on it… It is very sweet of her"—primarily serve to:

A. Underscore Anne’s naiveté in failing to recognize the depth of Leslie’s suffering.
B. Emphasize the tension between the beauty of the gift and the sorrow it symbolizes, as perceived through Anne’s limited but empathetic perspective.
C. Suggest that Anne’s gratitude is performative, masking her lingering resentment toward Leslie.
D. Indicate that Leslie’s gift is ultimately a hollow gesture, devoid of genuine emotional investment.
E. Demonstrate how material generosity can fully compensate for emotional wounds in a relationship.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The baby dress is a tangible act of love, yet its creation is undoubtedly tied to Leslie’s unresolved grief (likely over her own lost child) and her vicarious participation in Anne’s impending motherhood. The dress allows Leslie to engage with the joy she cannot have herself, making it a paradoxical blend of generosity and sorrow. This aligns with the passage’s emphasis on the complexity of Leslie’s emotions—her ability to give beautifully despite her pain.