Anne Of Green Gables

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive—it’s such an interesting world.”

Anne’s overactive imagination leads to her optimistic and hopeful view of the world. Under this bubbly, questioning persona lies a child who has been forgotten and overlooked for much of her existence—an understated fact that young readers may initially gloss over. However, even though her upbringing has been subpar, Anne still sees the potential beauty in everything she encounters, speaking volumes about her character and resilience.

“‘I suppose—we could hardly be expected to keep her.’

‘I should say not. What good would she be to us?’

‘We might be some good to her,’ said Matthew suddenly and unexpectedly.”

The initial conversation between Matthew and Marilla as Anne sleeps in the east gable room her first night at Green Gables foreshadows these three characters' eventual relationships. While Marilla sees the situation from a pragmatic standpoint—they do not need a girl on the farm—Matthew sees beneath the surface and realizes that this little girl has lived a life of neglect and loneliness. Through their love and guidance, he knows that they might be able to give her what she has been seeking—a home and family. As the novel continues, Anne becomes the loved one they never knew they needed.

“I’ve just been imagining that it was really me you wanted after all and that I was to stay here for ever and ever. It was a great comfort while it lasted. But the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop and that hurts.”

The value of these words from Anne does not come from what she says but rather what she does not say. She implies that her life has been far from a dream; the realities of her life have hurt her, and she continually turns to a fantasy world of her own making that keeps her from the pain for a time. These continued revelations eventually break Marilla’s objections, for she notices that Anne has been neglected for far too long.

“My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.”

Though Anne is comically speaking about her lifelong burden of having red hair, her statement is only humorous on the surface. In reality, her life has been a place where dreams go to die: her parents died when she was a baby, and she bounced from home to home as an orphan, never finding a place to truly call home nor a family to ever call her their own. Instead of letting it ruin her, Anne chooses to face life with joy and love, a testament to her resilience.

“It suddenly occurred to her that that simple little prayer, sacred to white-robed childhood lisping at motherly knees, was entirely unsuited to this freckled witch of a girl who knew and cared nothing about God’s love, since she had never had it translated to her through the medium of human love.”

Marilla’s character arc concerning Anne distinctly moves upward at this moment in the text. Though Marilla is embarrassed and horrified by Anne’s heathen-like ways regarding prayer, she immediately sees this as an opportunity to give Anne what she has never had—a physical sign of God’s love. She recognizes that Anne’s previous hardships have kept her from any type of salvation, and this serves as a vehicle through which Marilla and Anne’s relationship grows even stronger.

“A bosom friend—an intimate friend, you know—a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul. I’ve dreamed of meeting her all my life.”

Anne’s mention of the term “kindred spirit” is a haunting reminder of the lack of loving relationships she’s had in her life. Unlike most children, Anne has always been an outsider, shunned from any type of love or acceptance. This lack of care pushes her to create imaginative friends and worlds. There has never been anyone to share her life with, yet the lack of this “kindred spirit” does not deter Anne from remaining hopeful that one will arrive one day.

“You’re only Anne of Green Gables… But it’s a million times nicer to be Anne of Green Gables than Anne of nowhere in particular, isn’t it?”

Though she has just spent quite a few moments in front of the mirror imagining herself as “Lady Cordelia Fitzgerald,” one of her regal alter-egos, Anne realizes that she finally belongs somewhere that she can call home. Her character is shifting; reality is finally better than her imagination. By calling herself “Anne of Green Gables,” she identifies herself as belonging to the Cuthbert home.

“‘But still—I’d do anything for you—if you really want me to—’

‘Well now, of course I do. It’s terrible lonesome downstairs without you.’”

This intimate moment between Anne and Matthew speaks to their unique connection. After the Rachel Lynde debacle, Marilla is unable to break through Anne’s resolve, but Matthew, being a “kindred spirit,” is able to get Anne to apologize—for his sake. The fact that she is so willing to do so highlights their relationship. As Matthew is the first person to show her kindness on her way to Green Gables, Anne and he share something special. His reference to the home without her as “lonesome” proves how much impact this little girl has had on him in the short time she’s lived there, breaking him free from his quiet shell.

“Avonlea little girls had already heard queer stories about Anne; Mrs. Lynde said she had an awful temper; Jerry Buote, the hired boy at Green Gables, said she talked all the time to herself or to the trees and flowers like a crazy girl. They looked at her and whispered to each other behind their quarterlies.”

It is the nature of society to judge others who are different, and Anne is no exception. Her quirks may make her charming to the individual, but to the group as a whole, they seem out of place. Someone who doesn’t fit the typical norms of society cannot be part of that same society. The preconceived notions of the schoolgirls toward Anne seem quite ironic, as Anne becomes very popular once she begins attending school.

“But of course, I’d rather be Anne of Green Gables sewing patchwork than Anne of any other place with nothing to do but play.”

This statement seems unassuming on the surface, but considering Anne’s history, it is quite meaningful. Even though she was denied a normal childhood, Anne would prefer to belong to Green Gables, Marilla, and Matthew and work at menial tasks than have the freedom of childhood to do whatever she wants. It is more important to her to be loved than to experience all the life she has missed.

“‘You mean, hateful boy!’ she exclaimed passionately. ‘How dare you!’

And then—Thwack! Anne had brought her slate down on Gilbert’s head and cracked it—slate, not head—clear across.”

It is ironic that these two characters have such a volatile first interaction, as Gilbert’s subsequent actions prove his loyalty and devotion to Anne. However, Anne reacts in this scene exactly how she reacts when Mrs. Rachel teases her about her red hair and freckles—with a violent outburst. Her response stems from a lifetime of being told she is not pretty enough or good enough to be wanted by anyone. More so than anything else, Anne’s looks are her biggest insecurity. The nickname “Carrots,” met with so harsh a reaction here, becomes a touching memory to the two characters as the book ends.

“I was thinking the loveliest story about you and me, Diana. I thought you were desperately ill with smallpox and everyone deserted you, but I went boldly to your bedside and nursed you back to life; and then I took the smallpox and died and I was buried under those poplar trees in the graveyard and you planted a rosebush by my grave and watered it with your tears; and you never, never forgot the friend of your youth who sacrificed her life for you.”

While this vivid description mainly shows the extent of Anne’s dramatic imaginings, it also showcases her desire to be needed. Anne proves many times that she is willing to do what it takes to protect her friends—she stands up for Diana on numerous occasions—but this retelling of a dream highlights her selflessness and dedication to the ones she loves.

“Why, Diana, I didn’t think anybody could love me. Nobody has ever loved me since I can remember.”

Throughout the novel, Anne speaks in the negative—nobody ever wanted her, nobody ever loved her. Her surprise at Diana’s affirmation of love is unexpected because numerous characters have come to treasure Anne’s place in their lives. However, Diana is the first to say it—even before Marilla and Matthew. While readers know, through the omniscient narration, that Marilla and Matthew can’t live without Anne, only Diana comes out and says it first. Hearing those words validates Anne for the first time in her life.

“I shall never have another friend. I’m really worse off than ever before, for I haven’t Katie Maurice and Violetta now. And even if I had it wouldn’t be the same. Somehow, little dream girls are not satisfying after a real friend.”

Suddenly, Anne’s dream world is crashing down around her. Once supported by her imaginary friends, she cannot even dream them back into existence after having Diana as a friend. Katie Maurice and Violetta shared a very important role in Anne’s life when she needed them the most, but Diana brings a flesh and blood reality that Anne has never before experienced.

“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”

By this point in the novel, Anne has presented many of these different versions of herself. She is courageous, mischievous, intelligent, and imaginative. She balances the real world with the fantasy world. She can speak to both children and adults in the same manner and carry on deep conversations with any person. Though, in this sense, she means it as a blend of her own unique quirks, the reality is that Anne’s different versions of herself are what make her so valuable to those around her.

“Marilla, isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

As Marilla points out shortly after this quote, Anne is more prone to making mistakes than anyone. However, this question from Anne brings to light hopeful possibilities. The new day symbolizes a fresh beginning, and to Anne, these new beginnings represent possibilities to learn and grow.

“I’m sure the child must feel the difference between her clothes and the other girls’. But to think of Matthew taking notice of it! That man is waking up after being asleep for over sixty years.”

Though this quote marks the entrance of Anne into society, just as she’s always dreamed, it also highlights the impact Anne has had on Matthew. His movement from shy old bachelor to a very integral part of Anne’s life, even if it means shedding his insecurities, represents the change Anne brings to his life.

“I feel that I ought to be a very good girl indeed. It’s times like this I’m sorry I’m not a model little girl; and I always resolve that I will be in the future.”

This is not Anne's first reference to “not being good.” She often repeats these words or those like them to point out that she will always be wicked and troublesome to those around her. However, this is merely an effect of her difficult past, where she was often reminded that no one wanted her and she wasn’t good enough. Truthfully, Anne is well-loved by everyone and has conquered her past a hundred times over, but she cannot see that.

“That’s the worst of growing up, and I’m beginning to realize it. The things you wanted so much when you were a child don’t seem half so wonderful to you when you get them.”

In the early chapters, Anne considered sleeping in a spare room bed the pinnacle of success. But with age comes an understanding that the whimsical fancies of youth no longer hold merit in the big world. From jumping on Aunt Josephine in the Barrys’ spare room bed to sleeping in Aunt Josephine’s spare room bed, Anne traverses all the feelings associated with youth and realizes that growing up is not as fun as she once imagined it to be.

“And when I put on longer skirts I shall feel that I have to live up to them and be very dignified. It won’t even do to believe in fairies then, I’m afraid; so I’m going to believe in them my whole heart this summer.”

Like in the previous quote, Anne’s maturity pushes out her youth's childhood fantasies. However, while she is upset to let this part of her life go, there’s also the truth to consider: Anne’s reality leaves no real need for the vivid imaginations of her childhood. Besides the comfort they give her, the need to create a new world has passed her.

“There was a thankfulness for the past and reverent petition for the future; and when she slept on her white pillow her dreams were as fair and bright and beautiful as maidenhood might desire.”

After Anne takes the top scores on the Queen’s entrance exam, she falls asleep thinking of how her life’s journey led her to Green Gables. Though her past was a hard one, she gives thanks for it as well, for, without it, she never would have ended up here, surrounded by love and acceptance. Because of that past, her future is bright ahead.

“‘Well, I don’t want to be anyone but myself, even if I go uncomforted by diamonds all my life,’ declared Anne. ‘I’m quite content to be Anne of Green Gables, with my string of pearl beads. I know Matthew gave me as much love with them as ever went with Madame the Pink Lady’s jewels.’”

From a girl who used to dream of being a wealthy, beautiful lady surrounded by the finer things in life to now, Anne’s maturity puts Diana and Jane to shame in this moment. Diamonds are cold compared to the warmth and love ingrained in the simple gift from Matthew. All Anne has ever needed is to belong somewhere, and she has found that at Green Gables with Matthew and Marilla.

“Matthew felt real worried. All we have saved is in that bank—every penny.”

Marilla’s worry foreshadows Matthew's impending death and Anne’s ultimate sacrifice. His heart attack, brought on by the failure of the Abbey Bank, drives Marilla and Anne to their deepest connection yet, but the financial ruin makes Anne have to choose between her scholarship to Redmond and staying with Marilla—a choice she makes without hesitation.