The Care of Memory

Anne of Avonlea

Anne's visits to graves and neglected places turn remembrance into an ongoing practice of affection and continuity.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Matthew's Grave Matthew's Grave from "Anne of Avonlea". Matthew's Grave A Weekly Pilgrimage Anne carries flowers to Matthew Cuthbert's grave after the school year ends.

Matthew's Grave from "Anne of Avonlea". Matthew's Grave A Weekly Pilgrimage Anne carries flowers to Matthew Cuthbert's grave after the school year ends.

Matthew's Grave A Weekly Pilgrimage Anne carries flowers to Matthew Cuthbert's grave after the school year ends. Although most of Avonlea has moved on, his kindness remains central to her memory. Gratitude Sustained Anne remembers Matthew as the first adult who gave her the love her childhood lacked. Her pilgrimage shows how gratitude persists beyond a person's lifetime.

Hester Gray's Garden Hester Gray's Garden from "Anne of Avonlea". Hester Gray's Garden A Hidden Place Found Anne and her friends discover the overgrown garden where Hester Gray once lived with Jordan Gray.

Hester Gray's Garden from "Anne of Avonlea". Hester Gray's Garden A Hidden Place Found Anne and her friends discover the overgrown garden where Hester Gray once lived with Jordan Gray.

Hester Gray's Garden A Hidden Place Found Anne and her friends discover the overgrown garden where Hester Gray once lived with Jordan Gray. Narcissi still cover the ground, preserving traces of a life most people have forgotten. A Love Remembered Diana tells how Jordan cared for Hester until her death among the roses. Anne sees the place as a record of love expressed through flowers and care.

Flowers After the Hail Flowers After the Hail from "Anne of Avonlea". Flowers After the Hail A Scarred Garden Anne finds that only a few imperfect narcissus buds survived the storm.

Flowers After the Hail from "Anne of Avonlea". Flowers After the Hail A Scarred Garden Anne finds that only a few imperfect narcissus buds survived the storm.

Flowers After the Hail A Scarred Garden Anne finds that only a few imperfect narcissus buds survived the storm. She mourns the missing flowers she hoped to take to Matthew's grave and to Hester's resting place. Competing Views of Memory Marilla questions Anne's belief that Hester might still care about her garden. Anne imagines that attachment can remain meaningful across death and time.

The Baby's Grave The Baby's Grave from "Anne of Avonlea". The Baby's Grave A Promise Made Mrs. Allan tells Anne about visiting her child's grave and singing a lullaby there.

The Baby's Grave from "Anne of Avonlea". The Baby's Grave A Promise Made Mrs. Allan tells Anne about visiting her child's grave and singing a lullaby there.

The Baby's Grave A Promise Made Mrs. Allan tells Anne about visiting her child's grave and singing a lullaby there. Anne promises to put flowers on it after the Allans leave. Care Shared Across Distance Diana Barry offers to continue the task when Anne is away. Their promise makes remembrance communal and gives grief a practical form of care.

The Graveyard's Future The Graveyard's Future from "Anne of Avonlea". The Graveyard's Future Neglect Noticed The Avonlea Graveyard remains untidy, with old fencing and leaning monuments.

The Graveyard's Future from "Anne of Avonlea". The Graveyard's Future Neglect Noticed The Avonlea Graveyard remains untidy, with old fencing and leaning monuments.

The Graveyard's Future Neglect Noticed The Avonlea Graveyard remains untidy, with old fencing and leaning monuments. The Improvement Society and Ladies' Aid Society consider ways to make the place more cared for. Public Memory Anne's private habit of bringing flowers exists alongside efforts to repair the shared landscape. The novel links personal remembrance with a community's responsibility to its dead.

the final day of Anne's second school year

spring, during Anne's birthday picnic

June, several days after the May 23 storm

the summer before Anne leaves Avonlea

the summer of the Improvement Society's later projects