Chapter 7 - Pollyanna and Punishments

Summary

Pollyanna accompanies Miss Polly on a shopping expedition for new clothes, which she enjoys by focusing on the novelty of the experience. That evening, she shares stories with Nancy and Old Tom, cheerfully applying her 'just being glad' game to Nancy's complaints about her name. Unable to sleep in the hot attic, Pollyanna climbs out the window onto the sun parlor roof to sleep under the stars. Her disappearance alarms Miss Polly, who calls Timothy and Old Tom to investigate; they find Pollyanna on the roof, and Miss Polly punishes her by forcing her to sleep in Miss Polly's bed, a directive Pollyanna interprets as a joyous reward.

Characters

• Miss Polly / Aunt Polly — Miss Polly endures a frantic shopping trip with Pollyanna, emerging exhausted by the child's exuberance. Later, terrified by what she believes is an intruder on the roof, she summons Timothy and Old Tom for help. Upon discovering Pollyanna sleeping on the roof, she sternly orders the child to sleep in her own bed with her to maintain vigilance, feeling helpless as Pollyanna embraces the punishment as a reward.
• Pollyanna — Pollyanna joyfully shops for new clothes, delighting in the ability to choose them herself. After hearing Nancy's woes about her name, she cheerfully applies her 'just being glad' game to find humor in the situation. Hot and restless in her attic, she climbs out the window to sleep on the sun parlor roof, only to be discovered by her aunt and the servants, whom she greets with innocent affection regarding her new sleeping arrangement.
• Nancy — Nancy spends the evening on the back porch with Pollyanna, gossiping about her family and lamenting her own name. She listens to Pollyanna's cheerful reframing of her name's ugliness compared to 'Hephzibah,' eventually relaxing into a smile and admitting she is glad, though she remains skeptical of the 'just being glad' game.
• Old Tom / Tom — Old Tom joins Pollyanna and Nancy for an evening conversation in the garden, recalling fond memories of Pollyanna's mother. Later, he responds to Miss Polly's frantic call, climbing through the attic window to help retrieve Pollyanna from the roof before retreating quickly with Timothy.
• Timothy — Timothy drives Miss Polly and Pollyanna on their shopping trip. He rushes to Miss Polly's aid when she reports an intruder, climbing a ladder to the roof to investigate with Old Tom, and then rapidly descends to allow Miss Polly to confront Pollyanna.