Pollyanna, with eBook characters

Appears from the start

An eleven-year-old orphan sent to live with her mother's older sister in Vermont. Her missionary father taught her to look for something to appreciate in every difficult circumstance, a practice she calls the glad game. She is talkative, affectionate, and so sincerely interested in other people that her optimism often reaches adults who initially resist it.

Also known as Aunt Polly

Appears from the start

Pollyanna's wealthy, unmarried aunt and the mistress of the Harrington house. Severe, orderly, and strongly conscious of duty, she takes in her niece because she believes it is required of her, not because she welcomes a change to her secluded life.

Appears from the start

Miss Polly's young maid, warm-hearted and outspoken. She is disappointed by the bare attic room prepared for Pollyanna and quickly becomes the child's first friend in the Harrington household.

First appears in chapter 2

The elderly gardener and handyman at the Harrington home. He remembers Pollyanna's mother as a girl and greets her daughter with a kindness that contrasts with Miss Polly's formal reception.

First appears in chapter 7

A wealthy, solitary man who lives in a large house and has a reputation for being stern and unapproachable. Pollyanna repeatedly meets him on her walks and persists in greeting him despite his initial wish to be left alone.

First appears in chapter 8

A chronically ill woman who spends her days in bed and is accustomed to discussing her symptoms and disappointments. Pollyanna visits her as one of Aunt Polly's charitable duties and treats her as a person with choices rather than simply as an invalid.

First appears in chapter 11

A homeless boy about Pollyanna's age who wants a family and a permanent home but refuses to be treated as a dependent. Pollyanna meets him on the road and immediately tries to find someone willing to take him in.

First appears in chapter 15

A local physician with a cheerful manner and a particular ability to make frightened patients feel at ease. Nancy knows that he and Miss Polly do not visit each other, though the reason for their estrangement is not initially explained.

First appears in chapter 22

The town minister, burdened by conflict within his congregation and discouraged by what seems like the poor effect of his sermons. A conversation with Pollyanna prompts him to reconsider which parts of scripture he emphasizes.

First appears in chapter 8

The daughter who cares for Mrs. Snow. She is attentive to her mother's many requests and is surprised when Pollyanna's visits begin changing the atmosphere of their home.