What happens in Chapter 20 of Anne of Green Gables?
Chapter 20 begins with Anne and Diana navigating the Haunted Wood, a pine forest that Anne has creatively named and transformed into a place of gothic fear. When Marilla discovers the intricate ghost stories Anne has shared with Diana, she reacts with disapproval, stating that the girls have acted foolishly and that Anne's imagination has crossed into mischief. Anne admits that she and Diana have been scaring themselves every night with stories of a headless man, a white lady, and various other spirits — so much so that they are both genuinely frightened to walk through the wood after dark. Marilla gives them a stern talk about the dangers of letting their imaginations run wild, and while Anne feels some remorse, she can't deny that the thrill of their fright was real, even if the ghosts weren’t. The chapter ends with Anne, a bit reluctantly, deciding to "undream" the Haunted Wood — a promise that's easier said than done, as once imagination is ignited, it's not so easily extinguished.
Analysis
Montgomery uses this chapter to pinpoint Anne's main flaw and her greatest gift: they are essentially the same. The Haunted Wood sequence appears comedic at first—two girls frightened by their own storytelling—but Montgomery skillfully maintains a critique that the humor can't fully diminish. Marilla's scolding comes through without irony; she's right, and the narrative doesn't shield Anne from that judgment.
The theme of naming is particularly significant here. Anne has named the wood into danger, just as she transforms everything at Green Gables into something beautiful. Montgomery makes a subtle yet clear distinction: imaginative naming that enriches (like the Lake of Shining Waters) versus imaginative naming that confines (a path two girls can no longer traverse peacefully). This chapter marks a moment where Anne's romanticism briefly teeters into a form of tyranny over her own surroundings.
The tone skillfully shifts between Marilla's dry frustration and Anne's mix of pride and embarrassment during her self-reflection. Montgomery also introduces a small irony: Anne vows to "undream" the wood, but the word itself hints at impossibility—you can’t un-imagine what imagination has already made real. Thus, the chapter serves as a compact bildungsroman moment, acknowledging growth that hasn’t yet been realized, which aligns perfectly with Montgomery's candid, unsentimental approach throughout the novel.
Key quotes from Chapter 20
“'We've imagined it so long that it's real to us now.'”
Anne explains to Marilla why she and Diana are genuinely frightened by the Haunted Wood, inadvertently articulating the double-edged power of her own imagination.
“'I'm going to walk through the Haunted Wood without imagining a single thing, and cure myself.'”
Anne's resolution to 'undream' the wood, offered to Marilla as proof of contrition, though Montgomery's phrasing quietly undercuts its likelihood of success.
“'It was very foolish of you to imagine such things, and still more foolish to let them frighten you.'”
Marilla's verdict on the episode, delivered with characteristic economy and serving as the chapter's moral anchor.
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