Mrs. Rachel Lynde Character Analysis in Anne of Green Gables

Rachel Lynde lives next door to Green Gables. She is known for her excellent housewifery, being active in the church, and also for keeping a sharp watch on all of Avonlea’s comings and goings while sitting at her window and making quilts. She is married to Thomas Lynde, a meek man, and has raised 10 children. Mrs. Rachel is skeptical of the Cuthberts’ decision to adopt Anne. In fact, Mrs. Rachel and Anne get off on the wrong foot when Rachel harshly criticizes Anne’s looks, sending Anne into a rage, but Rachel is later won over by Anne’s passionate apology. Despite her gossip and occasional sharp tongue, Mrs. Lynde remains a faithful friend and neighbor to Marilla, Matthew, and Anne.

Mrs. Rachel Lynde Character Timeline in Anne of Green Gables

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Rachel Lynde appears in Anne of Green Gables. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Mrs. Rachel Lynde lives just off Avonlea’s main road and keeps a careful eye on all the... (full context)

After tea Mrs. Rachel heads up the road to Green Gables, the big house set back from Avonlea’s main... (full context)

Marilla and Rachel don’t have much in common—Marilla is tall, thin, and angular, with a stark knot in... (full context)

Mrs. Rachel is briefly dumbstruck, but Marilla is serious. Rachel doesn’t approve of Matthew and Marilla adopting... (full context)

Mrs. Rachel tells Marilla she’s being foolish—they don’t know anything about this little boy or his background.... (full context)

...nod to them in greeting—Matthew is terribly self-conscious around women, except for Marilla and Mrs. Rachel. When he reaches the train station, he sees nobody except for a girl sitting on... (full context)

After Anne has been at Green Gables for two weeks, Mrs. Rachel Lynde visits her, having been prevented by the grippe from coming sooner. She’s heard many... (full context)

While Anne plays in the orchard, Rachel visits with Marilla, detailing her illness and questioning Marilla on her surprising decision to keep... (full context)

Mishaps, Milestones, and Growing Up Theme Icon

Marilla calls Anne inside to meet Rachel. Fresh from her wanderings, Anne looks awkward—she’s still wearing her ill-fitting orphanage dress, her freckles... (full context)

...room and stamps her foot, crying, “I hate you!” with each stamp. She tells Mrs. Rachel that she’s a “rude, impolite, unfeeling woman” for speaking to her this way. How would... (full context)

Mrs. Rachel, collecting herself, tells Marilla she doesn’t envy her bringing up such a child. To Marilla’s... (full context)

...goes to Anne’s room, wondering what to do; she doesn’t believe she could follow Mrs. Rachel’s advice to hit Anne. Finally she faces a tear-stained Anne and tells her she’s ashamed... (full context)

...morning Marilla tells Matthew what happened, and he thinks it’s a good thing that Mrs. Rachel “got a calling down.” He tells Marilla not to be too hard on Anne. Marilla... (full context)

Anne calls to Marilla over the banister and says she’s ready to apologize to Mrs. Rachel. Marilla is relieved—she’d secretly been worrying about what to do if Anne remained stubborn. That... (full context)

When they reach Mrs. Lynde ’s, Anne suddenly drops to her knees and extends her hands to the surprised lady.... (full context)

Mrs. Lynde kindly urges Anne to get up. She forgives her and says she was too hard... (full context)

Anne is dismissed to the garden while Marilla and Mrs. Rachel talk. Mrs. Rachel still thinks Anne is a strange child, but there’s something appealing about... (full context)

The following Friday, Marilla hears from Mrs. Lynde about Anne’s flower-decorated hat and scolds her for drawing attention to herself. Anne starts to... (full context)

...but she’s struck by the stubborn look on Anne’s face and decides to ask Mrs. Rachel for advice. As expected, Mrs. Rachel has already heard the whole story—and she loves being... (full context)

Two days later, Anne returns from an errand to Mrs. Lynde ’s in tears. She confesses to Marilla that Mrs. Barry told Mrs. Lynde that Anne... (full context)

...Orchard Slope and timidly begs Mrs. Barry’s forgiveness. Mrs. Barry isn’t as easily softened as Mrs. Lynde , however, and suspects Anne is making fun of her by using big words like... (full context)

...to address his supporters in Charlottetown, 30 miles away. Most of Avonlea attends the rally. Mrs. Lynde doesn’t support the Premier, but she’s so interested in politics that she doesn’t believe a... (full context)

...afternoon, Anne stops by Mrs. Lynde’s house. Mrs. Barry stopped by a few minutes ago, Rachel tells her, and said that Aunt Josephine was terribly angry about what happened last night.... (full context)

...wondering how she keeps getting not just herself, but also people she loves into trouble. Mrs. Lynde tells her it’s because she’s too impulsive and never stops to think before she speaks... (full context)

...interesting and that “he prayed as if he meant it,” not just out of habit. Mrs. Lynde has also interrogated the new minister on his theology and is satisfied that his wife... (full context)

...encouraged to hear that Mrs. Allan, too, had once struggled with geometry. Just before leaving, Mrs. Lynde stopped by the Allans’ with the news that a new teacher has been hired for... (full context)

...her 14 times, and Anne is grateful that she doesn’t moralize about Anne’s accident, unlike Mrs. Lynde . But Anne can’t wait to return to school. Diana reports that Miss Stacy has... (full context)

...he must rely on a woman’s help, and since Marilla would never agree, he approaches Mrs. Lynde , the only other Avonlea woman he’s not afraid of. She immediately understands his plan... (full context)

On Christmas Eve, Mrs. Lynde delivers the new dress. Marilla thinks it’s a pointless extravagance—the sleeves are wasteful, and Anne... (full context)

...live down this mishap—it’s worse than the liniment cake, the raspberry cordial, or yelling at Mrs. Lynde , because it makes her look disreputable. After a week of daily washings, Marilla concludes... (full context)

...his heart. It seems that he works too hard. As they drink tea together, Mrs. Rachel observes that Anne has turned out to be much smarter and more helpful than she... (full context)

...mean she’s bad? Marilla laughs and admits that she often feels the same way around Rachel. (full context)

...and Marilla says, with an effort at restraint, that Anne has done “pretty well.” Mrs. Rachel tells her she’s “a credit to her friends.” (full context)

...he faints across the threshold. Anne sends the hired man for the doctor, and soon Mrs. Lynde arrives to help. She listens to Matthew’s heart and tearfully tells Marilla she doesn’t think... (full context)

...huffs. Anne laughs and tells her she’ll be studying in the evenings anyway. Then Mrs. Rachel tells Anne the happy news that Anne is being offered the job at Avonlea school.... (full context)

...candle signal from Orchard Slope, so Anne runs over to talk to her. Watching her, Mrs. Lynde remarks that there’s still a girlishness about Anne. Marilla retorts that she’s very much a... (full context)