Anne of Green Gables
Mrs. Rachel Lynde
The neighborhood busybody
Avonlea's most outspoken neighbor, who notices everything, says what she thinks, and turns out to be a loyal friend to Anne.
Mrs. Lynde is a stout, bustling woman with a rosy face and sharp, curious eyes. She sits at her window and knows who in Avonlea is driving where, and why. She is capable, efficient, and plainspoken, and she is Marilla's oldest friend and nearest neighbor.
She means well even when she does not speak kindly, and her bluntness sets her on a collision course with Anne. She is certain that taking in an orphan is a risky business. She shows throughout that she has a good heart. She is also the person Matthew turns to when he needs real help, because underneath the opinions she is practical, generous, and always ready to roll up her sleeves. She tells the village exactly what she thinks, and she is usually in the thick of any community event.
“Puffed sleeves! You leave it to me, Matthew. I'll pick the prettiest soft blue gloria cloth and make puffs fit for a queen!”
In the story
Contains spoilers.
Rachel is the first to notice Matthew's unusual trip and the first to hear about the orphan. She meets Anne and tells her she is skinny, homely, and as red-haired as carrots. Anne explodes in a tirade, and Rachel is stunned. After Matthew's request, Anne makes a theatrical apology, and Rachel, charmed, says they will be good friends yet.
Rachel later helps Matthew by making the blue gloria dress with puffed sleeves. She is with Marilla and Anne after Matthew dies, and she is the one who tells Anne that Gilbert Blythe gave up the Avonlea school so Anne could stay home.
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