How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Therefore Marilla conceived it to be her duty to drill Anne into a tranquil uniformity of disposition as impossible and alien to her as to a dancing sunbeam in one of the brook shallows…Marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment. Neither would she have believed that she really liked Anne much better as she was. (22.5)
Poor Marilla. She really does believe that her job is to mold Anne into a prim, well-behaved little girl. And with the sunbeam analogy, the narrator is giving us a picture of just how impossible Marilla's goal is.
Quote #8
"Folks that has brought up children know that there's no hard and fast method in the world that'll suit every child. But them as never have think it's all as plain and easy as Rule of Three—just set your three terms down so fashion, and the sum'll work out correct. But flesh and blood don't come under the head of arithmetic and that's where Marilla Cuthbert makes her mistake." (25.30)
For someone who believes a lot of questionable things, Mrs. Lynde's thoughts on parenting are usually on point. Remember when she advised Marilla to let Anne stay home from school for a while rather than fight with her? We never meet her children in this book, so it's easy to forget that Rachel Lynde is a mother herself, having raised ten children, two of whom died. So this is an area where she does know what she's talking about.
Quote #9
"She is," said Marilla, "and she's real steady and reliable now. I used to be afraid she'd never get over her featherbrained ways, but she has and I wouldn't be afraid to trust her in anything now." (30.43)
Marilla never turned Anne prim or demure, but did fulfill her main duty: she made Anne a useful member of society, who has the ability to care for herself and others. And now Anne can take care of her, as well.