Matthew's heart trouble

Matthew Cuthbert's heart trouble is a chronic, worsening condition that shadows the narrative from the early chapters and culminates in his sudden death from a heart attack, triggered by the news of the Abbey Bank's failure. It functions as a quiet but decisive force that shapes the Cuthberts' decision to adopt a child, deepens Anne's bond with her foster family, and ultimately precipitates the novel's central crisis, forcing Anne to choose between her own ambitions and her duty to Marilla.

Origins and the Decision to Adopt

The first mention of Matthew's heart trouble comes not from a doctor's diagnosis but from Marilla's explanation to Mrs. Rachel Lynde of why the Cuthberts decided to adopt a boy. Marilla states that Matthew is "getting up in years"—he is sixty—and "isn't so spry as he once was. His heart troubles him a good deal." This physical limitation, combined with the difficulty of hiring farm help, is the practical reason behind the plan to bring an orphan from Nova Scotia. The heart condition is thus the hidden engine of the entire plot: without it, Matthew might never have agreed to adopt, and Anne Shirley would never have come to Green Gables.

Worsening Condition and Marilla's Anxiety

As the years pass, Matthew's heart trouble grows more serious. In the summer after Anne's first year at Queen's, Marilla confides to Mrs. Lynde that Matthew "had a bad spell with his heart Thursday" and that she is anxious about him. The doctor has warned that Matthew must avoid excitement and heavy work, but Marilla knows that telling Matthew not to work is like telling him not to breathe. The condition is now a constant source of worry, and Marilla's own health begins to suffer under the strain. She notes that Matthew takes these spells "oftener than he used to," and the doctor's advice to avoid excitement proves tragically ironic, given what is to come.

The Final Shock and Sudden Death

The heart trouble reaches its catastrophic end when Matthew learns of the Abbey Bank's failure, in which the Cuthberts had deposited every penny of their savings. The news arrives in a paper that Martin, the hired man, brings from the post office. Matthew is standing in the porch doorway, a folded paper in his hand, his face "strangely drawn and gray." Before Marilla or Anne can reach him, he falls across the threshold. The doctor later confirms that death was instantaneous and probably painless, caused "in all likelihood by some sudden shock." The shock is the bank failure, which destroys the family's financial security and, in a cruel twist, kills the man who had trusted the bank because its head was a friend of his father's.

Aftermath and Anne's Sacrifice

Matthew's death leaves Marilla alone and nearly blind, and the family's financial ruin forces her to consider selling Green Gables. It is Anne who steps into the breach, deciding to give up the Avery scholarship and her dream of attending Redmond College in order to stay home, teach at the Avonlea school, and care for Marilla. The heart trouble that brought Anne to Green Gables ultimately binds her to it forever. In the graveyard, Anne plants a slip of the little white Scotch rosebush that Matthew's mother brought from Scotland, the roses he always loved best, as a final act of love. The heart condition is not merely a plot device; it is the physical manifestation of Matthew's silent, steadfast love—a love that, in its failure, demands and receives the same devotion in return.