Anne of Green Gables Chapter 12 Summary

Summary

Marilla reproves Anne after Mrs. Rachel Lynde reports seeing Anne at church with roses and buttercups on her hat, calling the decoration ridiculous and embarrassing. Anne is contrite and dramatic, fearing she may be sent back to the asylum, but Marilla reassures her and tells her that Diana Barry has come home; she proposes that Anne visit to get acquainted.

At the Barry home Anne meets Mrs. Barry (a resolute, strict-faced woman) and the pretty, merry Diana. In Mrs. Barry’s bowery flower garden the two girls shyly inspect tiger lilies and instantly bond. Anne begs Diana to be her “bosom friend.” After a comic discussion about swearing — Anne insisting there is a harmless vow and Diana reluctantly agreeing — they join hands and recite a solemn, imaginative oath by the “running water” of a garden path. They plan future playdates, name a spring the Dryad’s Bubble, and promise gifts and adventures. Returning home with Marilla, Anne exults and Matthew unexpectedly gives her a parcel of chocolates, further brightening her spirits and softening Marilla’s feelings; Marilla admits privately that she is pleased Anne has settled in well.

Key events

1. Marilla scolds Anne for wearing flowers on her hat after Mrs. Lynde's remark.
2. Marilla announces Diana Barry has returned and takes Anne to call.
3. Anne meets Mrs. Barry and introduces herself (spelling her name with an E).
4. Anne and Diana wander the Barry garden and form an immediate bond.
5. The girls make a dramatic 'oath' joining hands to be bosom friends forever.
6. Anne returns joyfully; Matthew gives her chocolate sweets, and Marilla begins to warm to her.

Analysis

This chapter establishes Anne’s first genuine peer friendship and shows how social judgment shapes character interactions. The flower-hat episode highlights small-town scrutiny through Rachel Lynde’s disapproval and Marilla’s pragmatic authority; Anne’s imaginative and melodramatic response contrasts with Marilla’s plainness and grounds their differing worldviews. The meeting with Mrs. Barry introduces another adult perspective—cordial but firm—and underscores the gendered expectations placed on girls (politeness, decorum). The garden scene functions as a romanticized, pastoral setting where Anne’s inner life and affective tendencies flourish; the lush description of flowers mirrors Anne’s sensory intensity and capacity for wonder.

Narratively, the chapter deepens Anne’s social integration by giving her a confidante, shifting the novel’s focus from caregiver–child dynamics to peer relations. The mock-oath ritual reveals Anne’s penchant for ceremony and language, while Diana’s easy laughter and practical kindness temper Anne’s affectations, suggesting a balancing friendship. Symbolically, the garden and the imagined “running water” for their vow evoke thresholds—between loneliness and companionship, imagination and social belonging. The episode also lightly develops Marilla’s character arc: her exasperation softens into reluctant affection, signaled by her acceptance of Matthew’s gift and her private admission of fondness. The narrative voice blends gentle irony with affectionate detail, both critiquing and celebrating Anne’s romantic temperament.

Important quotes

“I am well in body although considerable rumpled up in spirit, thank you ma’am”

Anne ShirleyAnne answers Mrs. Barry’s greeting with a florid, comic formality that shows her blend of earnestness and theatricality.

“I solemnly swear to be faithful to my bosom friend, Diana Barry, as long as the sun and moon shall endure.”

Anne ShirleyAnne’s invented oath dramatizes her desire for lasting friendship and her love of ceremonious language.

“Oh Marilla, I’m the happiest girl on Prince Edward Island this very moment.”

Anne ShirleyAnne’s exuberant declaration on the way home underscores how transformative the new friendship feels to her.

Characters in Chapter 12

• Rachel Lynde
• Anne Shirley
• Marilla Cuthbert
• Diana Barry
• Mrs. Barry
• Matthew Cuthbert
• Mr. William Bell