Emily of New Moon · Chapter
XV: Various Tragedies explained
Emily, curious about a haunted well in Mr.
What happens
Emily, curious about a haunted well in Mr. James Lee's pasture, ventures there alone and is confronted by a bull. She is rescued by a ragged, confident boy named Perry Miller, who later becomes the chore boy at New Moon. Emily helps Perry with his lessons and reflects on her friendships with Teddy, Ilse, and the new arrival.
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 Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this chapter, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when Aunt Elizabeth discovers Emily’s secret writ…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Friendship and Loyalty
Emily's developing friendship with Perry is marked by mutual rescue and support, while her existing bonds with Teddy and Ilse are tested by jealousy and misunderstanding.
- Individuality vs. Conformity
Perry's bold, unconventional behavior contrasts with Aunt Elizabeth's strict expectations, and Emily navigates her own creative ambitions against societal norms.
Characters to notice
- Emily Byrd Starr
Emily explores the old well, is terrified by the bull, and is rescued by Perry Miller. She later teaches Perry grammar and writes to her father about her friends.
- Perry Miller
Perry rescues Emily from the bull, introduces himself, and soon becomes the chore boy at New Moon. He is bold, determined, and quickly adapts to school.
- Aunt Elizabeth Murray
Aunt Elizabeth initially opposes hiring Perry due to his past mischief but relents after Cousin Jimmy insists. She enforces rules about Perry's place in the household.
- Cousin Jimmy Murray
Cousin Jimmy tells Emily the tragic story of the Lee brothers and the well. He advocates for hiring Perry because he saved Emily's life.
- Ilse Burnley
Ilse makes fun of Perry's ignorance and tears up Teddy's caricature of Perry, for reasons Emily cannot understand.
- Teddy Kent
Teddy draws a caricature of Perry that amuses Cousin Jimmy but angers Ilse. Emily notes that Teddy does not like Perry much.
Key passages
“Emily, obedient to Aunt Elizabeth’s command, had eliminated the word “bull” from her vocabulary. But to ignore the existence of bulls was not to do away with them”
Emily stopped saying the word 'bull' as ordered, but that didn't make the actual bull disappear.
Highlights the tension between obedience and reality.
“Perry Miller. I live with my old beast of an Aunt Tom down at Stovepipe Town. Dad was a sea-captain and I uster sail with him when he was alive”
Perry introduces himself, saying he lives with his harsh aunt in a poor area and used to sail with his late father.
Establishes Perry's background and rough demeanor.
“Aunt Elizabeth didn’t want Cousin Jimmy to hire him... because he was one of the boys who did a dreadful thing one night last fall. They changed all the horses that were tied to the fence one Sunday night when preaching was going on”
Aunt Elizabeth objected to hiring Perry because he had swapped horses tied outside the church during a service, causing chaos.
Illustrates Perry's mischievous reputation and Aunt Elizabeth's strictness.
