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Description edit
Pollyanna's eternal optimism has made her one of the most beloved characters in American literature. First published in 1913, her story spawned the formation of "Glad" clubs all over the country, devoted to playing Pollyanna's famous game. Pollyanna has since sold over one million copies,... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Miss Pollyanna: Is a smart little girl that lost both her parents and is now sent to live with her aunt Polly her mothers sister. Pollyanna changes many people's lives around the new city she is going to live in.
- Pollyanna Whittier: Clever, witty, and especially cheerful, Pollyanna brings pure happiness to everyone she meets. Her "glad game" helps clear up any sort of problem in her aunt's town of Beldingsville.
- Aunt Polly: Pollyanna arrives to live with her aunt Polly, her mother's sister, after her parent's death.
- Nancy: Polly Harrington's hired girl, from "The Corners" six miles away.
- Old Tom: The Harrington homestead's gardener even before Miss Polly was born.
- Mr John Pendleton: A angry man who does not have many friends around his city. He is the richest man around. He walks around, and even travels the world (but can't seem to find peace). He takes his small dog walking. John has a long lost love who died not long ago.
- Dr. Thomas Chilton: A doctor in town- he understands how good Pollyanna can be for the outlook of his patients, and begins inviting her on housecalls!
- Milly Snow: Mrs. Snow's daughter.
- John Pendleton: A now rich man, he saves a lot, and earned a nickname from Pollyanna: "The Man".
- Pollyanna: The heroine of our book, an eternal optimist who effects the lives of the people around her in a positive way.
- Miss Polly Harrington: Classic shrewlike, duty bound protestant Old Maid! "She knew MissPolly as a stern woman who frowned if a knife clattered to the floor, or if a door banged - but who never thought to smile even when knives and doors were still."
- Jimmy Bean: An orphan who is one of the first characters to befriend Pollyanna when she arrives in Harrington town.
- Mrs Snow: A poor, crippled, forty year old woman, stuck in bed, and is very picky about what people bring her.
- Dr Warren: Miss Polly's doctor.
- Mr Tom: Old gardener who has been with the Harrington family for two generations. His own son, Tim, is a Harrington servant also.
- Nancy: Teen Kitchen servant to Polly Harrington. She welcomes Pollyanna at the station as she arrives in the town, and Pollyanna mistakes her for her AUnt Polly!
- Paul Ford: Lutheran minister in the town.
- Timothy Durgin: Old Tom's son and best friend of Nancy. "It was sometimes said in town that if Old Tom was Miss Polly's right-hand man, Timothy was her left." (page 13)
- Polly Harrington: A rigid and stern aunt, she believes she needs to do her "duty". She also believes that Pollyanna was an "unnecessary child" brought into a world "already quite full enough". Watch out what Pollyanna's medicine will do to her aunt's cold heart.
- Dr Mead: Specialist who comes to town when Dr Warren needs some help.
- H. Porter: Add a description of this character.
- Miss Jennie: This was the eldest sister of the Harringtons, After marrying a poor preacher, they went west. This caused a break with the Harringtons. Jennie dies shortly after her last child, Pollyanna was born. Her husband raised Pollyanna to age 11, and none of Jennie's biological family ever saw the girl before the start of this book.
- Mrs Tarbell
- Pendleton Hill
- Miss Hunt
- Mrs. Jones
- Mrs. Rawson
- Mr. White
- Buffy
- Mrs. Tom Payson
- Mrs. Benton
- Mrs. White
First Sentence edit
Miss Polly Harrington entered her kitchen a little hurriedly this June morning.
Table of Contents edit
CHAPTER I. MISS POLLY
CHAPTER II. OLD TOM AND NANCY
CHAPTER III. THE COMING OF POLLYANNA
CHAPTER IV. THE LITTLE ATTIC ROOM
CHAPTER V. THE GAME
CHAPTER VI. A QUESTION OF DUTY
CHAPTER VII. POLLYANNA AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER VIII. POLLYANNA PAYS A VISIT
CHAPTER IX. WHICH TELLS OF THE MAN
CHAPTER X. A SURPRISE FOR MRS. SNOW
CHAPTER XI. INTRODUCING JIMMY
CHAPTER XII. BEFORE THE LADIES' AID
CHAPTER XIII. IN PENDLETON WOODS
CHAPTER XIV. JUST A MATTER OF JELLY
CHAPTER XV. DR. CHILTON
CHAPTER XVI. A RED ROSE AND A LACE SHAWL
CHAPTER XVII. "JUST LIKE A BOOK"
CHAPTER XVIII. PRISMS
CHAPTER XIX. WHICH IS SOMEWHAT SURPRISING
CHAPTER XX. WHICH IS MORE SURPRISING
CHAPTER XXI. A QUESTION ANSWERED
CHAPTER XXII. SERMONS AND WOODBOXES
CHAPTER XXIII. AN ACCIDENT
CHAPTER XXIV. JOHN PENDLETON
CHAPTER XXV. A WAITING GAME
CHAPTER XXVI. A DOOR AJAR
CHAPTER XXVII. TWO VISITS
CHAPTER XXVIII. THE GAME AND ITS PLAYERS
CHAPTER XXIX. THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW
CHAPTER XXX. JIMMY TAKES THE HELM
CHAPTER XXXI. A NEW UNCLE
CHAPTER XXXII. WHICH IS A LETTER FROM POLLYANNA
Themes & Symbolism edit
Series & Lists edit
This is book 1 of 13 in Pollyanna's Glad Books. (standard series)
Followed by Pollyanna Grows Up.
This book is in Azul - Círculo de Leitores. (publisher edition list)
This is book 437 of 985 in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. (authoritative list)
This is book 8 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1913. (authoritative list)
This is book 2 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1914. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Eleanor H. Porter (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Marc D. Falkoff (Author)
- Marian Leighton
- Kathleen Olmstead (Adapter)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: L.C. Page and Co.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1913
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 357
Publisher: L.C. Page and Co.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1913
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 357
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 080
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Links to Supplemental Material edit
- Project Gutenberg: Full text ebook
- Librivox Free Audio Book: Read by Mary Anderson (Total running time: 6:54:24)
Movie Connections edit
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