Annie John

Annie begins to deceive her mother by slamming the gate whenever she wants her mother to think that she has just left or returned home. This allows her to surreptitiously access the treasures she hides under the porch. She cannot bear to part with books she has read, so she steals them, and she has become very skilled at “putting on an innocent face” to avoid suspicion (55). Whenever she feels her mother’s disapproval, Annie purposely appears to be absorbed in books just to impress her.

One day, Annie tries to knock down a guava from a tree, and a local girl with hair the color of a penny walks up and asks her which one she wants. When Annie points, the “Red Girl,” as Annie calls her, climbs the tree, picks it, and climbs back down to present it to Annie. Annie has never seen a girl climb a tree, and the Red Girl climbs better than any boy Annie has ever seen. Annie remembers taking notice of the girl some years ago when they passed on the street, each clinging to her mother’s skirt, because of the girl’s distinctive hair. Annie’s mother commented on how dirty the Red Girl was, blaming the girl’s mother for allowing it.