Thread by @lainasparetime

Short chapter today, so it's time for #LainaReadsAnne!

#LainaReadsAnne When we closed the last chapter, Marilla had decided to allow Anne to stay but not to tell her til the next day. She now goes in to tell Anne it's time for bed.

#LainaReadsAnne Unlike last night, tonight Marilla tells Anne that she must pick her clothes up each night and fold them on the chair, not leave them on the floor.

Honestly this kind of confirms to me that she was being gentler with Anne because she could tell Anne was so upset.

#LainaReadsAnne The secret soft spots of Marilla Cuthbert could be a whole essay in itself lol.

She is, however, horrified to hear that Anne has never prayed before bed.

This is one of the parts of the book that is really Christian-heavy, just FYI.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne has gone to Sunday school at the asylum, but she has "never cared about" God since Mrs Thomas told her He made Anne's hair red on purpose.

All her life Anne has basically told that her red hair makes her bad or worth less than others, so that's a lot to hear

#LainaReadsAnne Reminder that she is 11 years old and for most of her life has been raising other peoples' children and is a victim of neglect and very likely abuse, but sure, SHE'S the bad one.

#LainaReadsAnne I'm not religious, but I do find this scene interesting anyways. Anne talks about how if she really wanted to pray, she'd go out into nature and look up at the sky to feel close to God.

#LainaReadsAnne This is very true to Montgomery's experience, I think. She later married a minister, but some of her very important moments in her faith weren't in church or anything. She often spoke of something she called "the flash".

#LainaReadsAnne Montgomery often went for walks alone in nature, and she'd describe a moment of tranquility and clarity where she was inspired by the feeling of a higher spiritual power running throughnature.

Anne's feelings are pretty clearly inspired by that.

#LainaReadsAnne It's interesting because I don't think this kind of thing would really be considered proper? But while people have interesting responses, it's framed similarly to other things Anne do that we're supposed to approve of even if others around her don't.

#LainaReadsAnne VERY MUCH not my area of expertise, but an interesting scene.

Marilla is too embarassed to teach Anne "Now I lay me down to sleep" like she had planned, thinking it doesn't really suit her at all.

#LainaReadsAnne I also kinda like this line. Anne "knew and cared nothing about God's love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love."

I like that Marilla blames people for not treating her well?

#LainaReadsAnne Like I don't think every child needs to be raised with religion in their life, but Marilla very clearly considers it part of the foundation of child-rearing, and she feels the people in Anne's life have failed her on that.

#LainaReadsAnne And I do think it's nice that she doesn't think that Anne should just have magically figured this out on her own and been perfectly pious when the world and people were being terrible to her.

It just feels more fair somehow.

#LainaReadsAnne You know what I think it is? It's that it's about peoples' actions, not just what they say.

#LainaReadsAnne Anne basically ad-libs a prayer, and Marilla says goodnight and leaves.

When she gets downstairs, she is super riled up and glares at Matthew, and she's now even more certain of her decision to keep Anne.

#LainaReadsAnne According to Marilla, Anne CLEARLY needs people in her life to help her not be almost a heathen and it's about time someone adopted her.

Frankly I think Marilla is just glad to have a plan again, and that she can be in control of something.

#LainaReadsAnne I think she likes having a "problem" to solve, too.

And that's the end of the chapter!! We might do another tonight - we'll see what else I get done today.

#LainaReadsAnne Honestly of religious things I've read, this chapter is by far not the worst. Montgomery injects enough humour into this (Marilla being so flustered) that even though it's not my thing, it's fun to read.