Miss Josephine Barry

Miss Josephine Barry, the wealthy and formidable great-aunt of Diana Barry, enters the story as a figure of stern propriety and sharp temper, yet evolves into one of Anne Shirley's most unexpected and valued friends. Her initial encounter with Anne is marked by comic disaster, but her subsequent relationship with the girl reveals a depth of character that transcends her prim exterior, making her a significant, if minor, force in Anne's world.

Introduction and First Impression

Miss Barry is introduced through a calamitous misunderstanding. When Anne and Diana, returning from a concert, race to see who can reach the spare-room bed first, they leap onto it only to discover Miss Barry already asleep there. The old lady's reaction is immediate and volcanic: she is "fairly dancing with rage," scolds Diana as "the worst-behaved girl she ever saw," and declares she will cut short her visit and return to Charlottetown immediately, revoking her promised payment for Diana's music lessons. This first impression paints her as a rigid, humorless woman, thin and prim, with snapping eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses, whose temper is "no joke."

Anne's Confrontation and Reconciliation

Learning of the trouble she has caused, Anne resolves to confess directly to Miss Barry, despite Diana's warning that the old lady will "eat you alive." Anne marches to the sitting-room door, knocks faintly, and enters to find Miss Barry knitting fiercely by the fire. In a trembling but determined voice, Anne takes full blame, insisting that Diana is a "very ladylike girl" and that Miss Barry should forgive her. She appeals to Miss Barry's imagination, asking her to picture the situation from the girls' perspective. This speech, delivered with characteristic dramatic flair, disarms the old lady. The snap goes out of her eyes, replaced by a twinkle of amused interest, and she actually laughs—a sound that brings Diana great relief. Miss Barry agrees to stay if Anne will come and talk to her occasionally.

A Developing Friendship

Miss Barry keeps her word, staying her full month and more, and she and Anne become firm friends. The old lady admits frankly that she is staying "simply for the sake of getting better acquainted with that Anne-girl," who amuses her—a rare commodity at her time of life. She gives Diana a silver bangle bracelet and, when she departs, promises Anne that when she comes to town she may visit and sleep in the "very sparest spare-room bed." Anne later confides to Marilla that Miss Barry is "a kindred spirit, after all," though one does not see it at first, as with Matthew. The friendship deepens when Miss Barry sends Anne a pair of dainty kid slippers with beaded toes and satin bows as a Christmas gift, along with a card addressed to "the Anne-girl."

Role as Host and Benefactor

Miss Barry's most substantial role comes when she invites Anne and Diana to stay with her in Charlottetown for the Exhibition. She meets them at the door of her fine old mansion, "Beechwood," and immediately comments on how Anne has grown and improved in looks. She takes the girls to the Exhibition grounds, the horse races, and a concert at the Academy of Music where a noted prima donna performs. Anne is overwhelmed by the splendor of Miss Barry's house, with its velvet carpet and silk curtains, though she confesses that such magnificence leaves "no scope for imagination." Miss Barry laughs at Anne's solemn pronouncements, a habit that sometimes disconcerts Anne, who is not trying to be funny. Yet the old lady is genuinely hospitable, and when the girls leave, Anne impulsively throws her arms around Miss Barry's neck and kisses her wrinkled cheek—a freedom that shocks Diana but pleases Miss Barry deeply. After they depart, Miss Barry stands on her veranda watching the buggy out of sight, feeling the loneliness of her big house, and reflects that if she had a child like Anne in the house all the time, she would be "a better and happier woman."

Character and Significance

Miss Barry is, as the narrative notes, "a rather selfish old lady" who values people only as they serve or amuse her. Yet Anne's fresh enthusiasms, transparent emotions, and little winning ways penetrate this self-regard. The old woman finds herself thinking less about Anne's quaint speeches than about her "fresh enthusiasms, her transparent emotions, her little winning ways, and the sweetness of her eyes and lips." Miss Barry's transformation from a figure of comic terror to a genuine friend illustrates Anne's power to awaken affection even in the most unlikely hearts. She also serves a practical function, providing Anne with a taste of city life and cultural experiences—the Exhibition, the concert, the fine house—that broaden her horizons before she goes to Queen's. In the end, Miss Josephine Barry stands as proof that kindred spirits can appear in the most unexpected forms, and that even a sharp-tongued old lady can be won over by sincerity, courage, and a little imagination.