Original artwork, not a still
Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Anne's whole philosophy fits in that sentence: the world is fuller of people who will understand you than you would guess, and they turn up in unlikely places, a stern old lady in a spare-room bed included. It is the book's gentlest piece of optimism. "Kindred spirit" has become fan shorthand for an instant, unexpected friend, and the line turns up on friendship cards, mugs and bookish captions.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Anne of Green GablesShow the scene
In chapter XIX of Anne of Green Gables, Anne and Diana race to the Barrys' spare-room bed and land on Diana's formidable Aunt Josephine, who is already asleep in it. Next day Anne marches over to Miss Barry to confess that the idea was hers. Miss Barry laughs, decides to stay on in Avonlea just to know "that Anne-girl" better, and invites her to visit in town. Afterwards Anne tells Marilla that Miss Barry turned out to be a kindred spirit after all, and that such people are easier to find than she once thought.
Sources (1)
- Anne of Green Gables, Project GutenbergChapter XIX, A Concert, a Catastrophe, and a ConfessionReference checked
Context reviewed
