Pollyanna, Chapter 23 summary

What happens

1. Fetching medicine information for Mrs. Snow, Pollyanna asks Dr. Chilton why he does not marry and corrects her claim about Mr. Pendleton loving Aunt Polly.
2. On October’s final day, Pollyanna crosses before an approaching automobile and suffers an accident whose exact circumstances remain unclear.
3. Pollyanna arrives home unconscious, and Dr. Warren examines her while Nancy tells Old Tom how frightened Aunt Polly appears.
4. The doctor finds no apparent broken bones but gives no definite outlook, and a trained nurse is summoned.
5. The next morning, Pollyanna cannot rise or feel her legs, and Aunt Polly struggles to answer her questions.
6. Miss Hunt introduces herself, gives Pollyanna pills, and gently avoids promising an immediate return to school.

In this chapter

What to notice

Pollyanna’s words reveal a troubling symptom beyond the small head wound. They make her wish to return to school painfully uncertain.

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