If you need a friendship handbook, just open up Anne of Green Gables. Seriously. The friendships in this book might just be the most idealized relationships ever. There's something about Anne that inspires all the best qualities in friendship—Anne's "bosom friend" Diana never fights with her or talks about her behind her back. True friends, according to the author, are proud of each other, keep each other's secrets, and love their friends selflessly.
Maybe because Anne thinks so highly of friendship, people want to give her the same respect back. Anne makes a lot of unlikely friends throughout the story, like Diana's great-aunt Josephine. By the end of the book, even Mrs. Lynde considers herself part of Anne's circle.
Questions About Friendship
- What do you think it was about Anne that initially appealed to Diana?
- What's the recipe for a "kindred spirit?"
- Why does Mrs. Rachel Lynde change her mind about Anne?
- What is the difference between a kindred spirit and a bosom friend?
Chew on This
Miss Josephine's and Mrs. Lynde's transformations in how they feel about Anne reflect Marilla's growth in learning to love her adopted daughter.
Anne wanted to befriend Diana not because of Diana's personality, but because of her own deep desire for friendship. Anne would have made whoever lived next door her bosom friend.