Pollyanna

73 pages • 2 hours read

Pollyanna

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1913

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Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-11

Reading Check

1. In what city does Aunt Polly Harrington live?

2. What is Pollyanna wearing when Nancy comes to pick her up at the train station?

3. Why is Pollyanna late for supper in Chapter 4?

4. What type of insect annoys Aunt Polly at breakfast in Chapter 6?

5. Nancy regales Pollyanna with stories about her family who lives where?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Chapter 2, what does Nancy think about the room that Aunt Polly has provided for Pollyanna? Where is the room located in the house?

2. When Pollyanna realizes that it’s Nancy who came to collect her at the train station in Chapter 3, how does she react to the situation?

3. How did Pollyanna’s father first introduce her to the idea of “just being glad,” as Pollyanna tells Aunt Polly in Chapter 5?

4. After Aunt Polly forces Pollyanna to sleep in Aunt Polly’s bed as punishment, what about Pollyanna’s reaction causes Aunt Polly to feel “curiously helpless”?

5. Why is Mrs. Snow a challenging case for Pollyanna’s glad game?

Paired Resource

“In Praise of Pollyanna”

The Centre for Optimism examines the usefulness of a “Pollyanna” attitude.
This article takes a broad look at the link between Pollyanna’s Optimism and similar philosophies of life.
What do you think about the article author’s assertion that practicing gratitude is a powerful tool for cultivating a positive mindset? Do you believe in the power of gratitude?

“Pollyanna (1919) Mary Pickford”

This is the 1919 film adaptation of Pollyanna, produced by and starring Mary Pickford as Pollyanna.
As in the book, one of the film’s core themes is A Child in an Adults’ World.
Compare the opening scene in the movie (1:22 to 3:42) to the opening chapters of the book. How does the theme of A Child in an Adults’ World come through? How does the film version deviate from the book?

CHAPTERS 12-22

Reading Check

1. Why does Aunt Polly stay home from the Ladies’ Aid meeting in Chapter 12?

2. In Chapter 13, why does Pollyanna call Dr. Chilton for Mr. Pendleton?

3. Why does Pollyanna advise Mr. Pendleton that he should be happy about his leg injury?

4. What item of clothing does Pollyanna bring down from the attic for Aunt Polly in Chapter 16?

5. In Chapter 22, Pollyanna bumps into Reverend Paul Ford while walking where?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Chapter 12, what reason does the Ladies’ Aid committee give Pollyanna for rejecting her proposition of adopting Jimmy Bean? What does Pollyanna suspect is the real reason?

2. How does Jimmy react to the news that the Ladies’ Aid committee will not be adopting him?

3. As Nancy describes in Chapter 17, why does she suspect that Mr. Pendleton is the lover of Aunt Polly’s that Old Tom told her about?

4. Why is Chapter 18 titled “Prisms”?

5. When Dr. Chilton jokes that Mr. Pendleton has had an “overdose” of Pollyanna’s “tonic” in Chapter 19, what does he mean by this? What is Pollyanna’s “tonic,” exactly?

Paired Resource

“The Glad Game”

This brief piece in The Paris Review is about how adopting the “Pollyanna mentality” works even in modern life.
As an experiment, the author applies Pollyanna’s Optimism when viewing the chaos on her New York City street.
How could you apply a similar experiment in your own life, following in Pollyanna’s footsteps?

“The Dark Side of Constant Optimism”

This Psychology Today article examines the detrimental effect of “Pollyanna syndrome,” a psychological state in which people are stubbornly optimistic and upbeat regardless of their external circumstances.
A counterpoint to Pollyanna’s Optimism, the article’s author asserts, is that on some occasions, it’s okay to be sad.
Do you agree or disagree with the article’s author? How do you think Pollyanna would respond to this piece?

CHAPTERS 23-32

Reading Check

1. In the wake of Pollyanna’s motor car accident, who is the nurse in charge of Pollyanna’s care?

2. In Chapter 25, Aunt Polly engages a specialist from what state to treat Pollyanna?

3. Who does Aunt Polly send to break the news about Pollyanna to Mr. Pendleton in Chapter 27?

4. Who is the “new uncle” referenced in the title of Chapter 31?

5. Chapter 32 takes the form of a letter written by Pollyanna to whom?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. At first, what is the primary reason why Pollyanna expresses gratitude over the motor car accident, as she describes in Chapter 24?

2. When Pollyanna overhears a private conversation between Dr. Mead and Aunt Polly in Chapter 26, what news does she learn? How does she react to this news?

3. Why does Mr. Pendleton ultimately agree to adopt Jimmy Bean?

4. In Chapter 28, what example does Milly Snow provide to Aunt Polly as evidence of the positive effect that Pollyanna’s “glad game” has had on her life?

5. In what way does Aunt Polly’s attitude toward Dr. Chilton serve as a roadblock to Pollyanna’s recovery, which she ultimately overcomes in Chapter 30?

Recommended Next Reads

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Originally published in 1908, Anne of Green Gables recounts the adventures of 11-year-old orphan Anne Shirley, a precocious little girl with a good-natured spirit and bright red hair.
As an orphan, Anne finds herself dealing with tragedy early in life and thus must make her way as A Child in an Adults’ World.
Like Pollyanna, Anne’s “superpower” to cope with the trials and tribulations of life lies in her sunny disposition and fierce individualism.
Anne of Green Gables on SuperSummary

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

In this classic tale, a young orphan girl named Mary Lennox is sent to live with her wealthy uncle.
In Mary’s adjustment to life in Misselthwaite Manor, The Secret Garden touches upon issues dealing with Classism.
Published in 1911, this work, like Pollyanna, is a cornerstone in the “Golden Age of Children’s Literature.”
The Secret Garden on SuperSummary

Reading Questions Answer Key

CHAPTERS 1-11

Reading Check

1. Beldingsville, Vermont (Chapter 1)

2. A red-checked gingham dress and a straw hat (Chapter 3)

3. Because she sneaks outside to sit atop a rock (Chapter 4)

4. A fly (Chapter 6)

5. The Corners farm (Chapter 7)

Short Answer

1. Pollyanna’s room is in the attic of Aunt Polly’s grand mansion. Nancy thinks that Aunt Polly is cruel for assigning Pollyanna a shabby, uncomfortable little room when she has such a large home. (Chapter 2)

2. At first, Pollyanna is shocked, but then she puts an optimistic spin on the situation by telling Nancy that she now has something to look forward to (meeting Aunt Polly). (Chapter 4)

3. One year, Pollyanna received crutches as a gift instead of the doll she wanted. Pollyanna’s father told her that she should be grateful she doesn’t need the crutches. (Chapter 5)

4. Pollyanna is delighted at being forced to sleep in Aunt Polly’s bed. This causes Aunt Polly to feel “helpless” because Pollyanna is not meant to feel gratitude for her punishment (Chapter 7)

5. Mrs. Snow is a chronic complainer. She is poor and bedridden, and as soon as Pollyanna enters the room, she starts complaining. (Chapter 8)

CHAPTERS 12-22

Reading Check

1. Because she has a headache (Chapter 12)

2. Because he has a hurt leg (Chapter 13)

3. He only broke one leg. He could have broken both legs, and that would have been much worse. (Chapter 15)

4. A white shawl (Chapter 16)

5. Pendleton Woods (Chapter 22)

Short Answer

1. The Ladies’ Aid committee says that their money would be better spent on a Hindu mission helping little boys in India. However, Pollyanna thinks that their main reason for rejecting her proposition is vanity since adopting Jimmy will be less prestigious than helping the little boys in India. (Chapter 12)

2. He reacts with a weary knowingness. He tells Pollyanna that of course it’s easier to idealize and love the unknown, rather than someone like Jimmy, whom the Ladies’ Aid committee may regard as a nuisance. (Chapter 14)

3. She believes this because of Mr. Pendleton’s enthusiasm for Pollyanna following the discovery that Pollyanna is related to Aunt Polly. (Chapter 17)

4. Pollyanna and Mr. Pendleton share a tender moment in this chapter when Mr. Pendleton uses a prism and a candlestick to show how Pollyanna can “live in a rainbow.” (Chapter 18)

5. Pollyanna’s “tonic” is her optimism and bright spirit. Seeing Mr. Pendleton’s continued steady improvement, Dr. Chilton makes the comment that he must be “overdosing” on the healing power of Pollyanna’s optimism. (Chapter 19)

CHAPTERS 23-32

Reading Check

1. Miss Hunt (Chapter 23)

2. New York (Chapter 25)

3. Nancy (Chapter 27)

4. Dr. Chilton (Chapter 31)

5. To Aunt Polly and Uncle Tom/Dr. Chilton (Chapter 32)

Short Answer

1. All things considered, she is grateful to have a temporary sickness. She compares her situation to Mr. Pendleton’s broken legs, contrasted against a permanent condition like Mrs. Snow’s. (Chapter 24)

2. Pollyanna hears Aunt Polly in distress, exclaiming that she cannot believe the news that Pollyanna will never walk again. Pollyanna reacts to this news by fainting. (Chapter 26)

3. Mr. Pendleton wants to make Pollyanna happy, but he also wants to make his house a home. He believes that the presence of either a woman or a child is necessary in creating a homelike environment. (Chapter 27)

4. Pollyanna taught her “glad game” to Mrs. Snow. Via the glad game, Mrs. Snow became grateful that she had use of her arms, which allowed her to take up knitting. (Chapter 28)

5. Due to her romantic history with Dr. Chilton, Aunt Polly forbids Dr. Chilton from seeing Pollyanna for treatment after her accident. However, Dr. Chilton believes he knows the cure to get Pollyanna to walk again, and so Aunt Polly eventually allows him to see her. (Chapter 30)