Anne of the Island · Chapter
April's Lady explained
Anne and Priscilla explore Old St.
What happens
Anne and Priscilla explore Old St. John's Cemetery in Kingsport, where they meet Philippa Gordon, a fellow student from Redmond College. The three quickly become friends, sharing their feelings of insignificance and loneliness on their first day at Redmond.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Anne reaches her emotional and psychological peak here as she confronts the painful aftermath of rejecting Roy…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Friendship
Anne, Priscilla, and Philippa form an instant bond in the cemetery, overcoming initial shyness and loneliness.
- Home and Belonging
Anne and Priscilla struggle with feeling out of place at Redmond, longing for the familiarity of Queen's and Avonlea.
- Mortality and the Meaning of Life
Anne reflects on epitaphs in the cemetery, contemplating faithfulness and the legacy one leaves behind.
Characters to notice
- Anne Shirley
Explores Old St. John's Cemetery with Priscilla, reflects on epitaphs, and feels insignificant at Redmond.
- Priscilla Grant
Accompanies Anne to the cemetery, feels awkward and oversized at Redmond, and helps befriend Philippa.
- Philippa Gordon
Introduced as a pretty, vivacious girl from Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia; she is indecisive but friendly and quickly bonds with Anne and Priscilla.
Key passages
“We are all servants of some sort, and if the fact that we are faithful can be truthfully inscribed on our tombstones nothing more need be added.”
Anne reflects that being remembered as faithful is the highest praise one can receive.
Anne's philosophical observation while reading an epitaph in the cemetery.
“I can't describe how I felt when I was standing there, waiting my turn to be registered—as insignificant as the teeniest drop in a most enormous bucket.”
Anne felt extremely small and unimportant while registering at Redmond.
Anne expresses her feelings of insignificance on her first day at college.
