More "Anne of Green Gables" Questions - Part II

[Laura]

Hi Everyone,
As we finish up "Anne of Green Gables" this month, here are a few more discussion questions to answer or to think about.

1) As the story progresses, we see Anne go through a shift from childhood to adolescence and on to adulthood. Let's talk about the ways Anne changes (and the ways she remains the same) as she comes of age. How do her relationships with the adults in her life change as she grows up? Where do you see her values and priorities shift most?

2) What do you think of the ending of the book and Anne's decision? Do you thing a young person today would make the same decision under comparable circumstances? Why or why not?

3) If you've watched an adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables," you may have found that the movie or TV versions make changes. In the case of a show like "Anne with an E" on Netflix, the writers add content that is not in the original text. In other versions, like the PBS miniseries, the writers cut or condense key moments to fit the format. Usually, I don't prefer to focus too much on these changes because it's just a part of adaptation, but I am interested in knowing what you think of the changes in the "Anne of Green Gables" story as presented by these productions? Do you think it benefits the story or that it would be better with a more faithful interpretation of the novel? Do you have a favorite version of Anne Shirley on screen or in another form?

[Kyland]

As Anne matures, Marilla notices that she is much quieter in nature. This tends to happen with most young teenagers. As children, many of their thoughts and ideas are shared out loud as Anne's were. However, as they grow they become much more introspective and verbalize their thoughts much less. When Marilla brings this to Ann's attention, the young teenager states that she finds it more favorable to meditate on her dreams instead of always voicing them. Ann's independence, ambition, and beauty seem to develop quickly before Marilla, Matthew and the town's eyes. As a young child, Anne provided a new and beautiful way to view the world. She found the good in everything, and in spite of her numerous blunders, found her way into the hearts of everyone she met with her well-meaning spirit. As a teenager, Anne inspires and awes people with her intelligence and potential. Her friends, caregivers and peers get a glimpse into all that she can offer the world. I feel that the greatest shift can be seen in her desire to replace ambition and dreams with even greater care and responsibility. Anne has always been a caring individual, as she cared for children when she was just a young orphan herself, and helped save child's life. However now, she has a greater sense of responsibility and selflessness as she desires to give back to Marilla even a small bit of what Marilla gave to her as a young orphan.

2. I feel that Anne's decision at the end of the book was a beautiful and selfless act. She could see how lonely Marilla was and how much help she would need around Green Gables. Anne did not want selling their home to even be an option and was determined to be there for the woman who cared for her so dearly. I feel that there are still selfless people in the world who care enough about family to make a sacrifice. I cannot lie and say that I did not hope Marilla would still encourage Anne to go and continue with her education afar; but this ending also reminds us what is most important in life. True and genuine love for others will never come back to you void. It was returned to Marilla after all those years of caring for Anne expecting nothing in return, and I truly believe that it will be returned to Anne for her sacrifice as well. The fact that she really did not see it as a sacrifice but as a privilege to care for her home and her loved ones was probably the most beautiful aspect of this ending.

3. I watched the PBS Adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables" and really enjoyed it. The young girl portraying Anne Shirley really brought the character to life and was delightful to watch. Also, I loved the casting of Marilla and Matthew. They portrayed the emotions that were expressed in the book extremely well. I could see how Anne was capturing their hearts despite their trying to fight it and it was very heartwarming. I was impressed at how the actress who played Marilla captured the character so well. She was not overly stern and unlikable, but was doing her best to be firm, understanding, and empathetic to a young orphan girl. I did notice that key events like the missing jewelry, Anne's first experience with church and more were condensed in the adaptation. Although I feel the adaptation overall was very true to the story, I still feel that one can miss out on important motives, emotions and conversations that occurred leading up to the events or as consequences of the events that shaped the characters and the storyline much better. After reading the book and watching the PBS adaptation, I feel that the film supplements the novel very well. It is great to be able to visualize what was in my head while reading and see the characters come to life!

[Laura]

Laura here! I'm going to add my thoughts to the discussion now!
1) That's a good point about Anne's quietness as a hallmark of her developing maturity. As I read the book, I was struck by how many different women contributed to her upbringing. You have Marilla who raises her, but also her teachers Miss Stacy and Mrs Allen, and Miss Barry (the older aunt), and even Mrs. Rachel has her role. These women offer her guidance and support, but as Anne grows, she offers them friendship as well. It was most striking to me how, toward the end of the book, Marilla shares her concerns about the farm and her health with adult transparency, so Anne knows what is going on and is not sheltered from it. Becoming an adult ultimately seems to be ushered in by the passing of Matthew and her decision to stay home for Marilla and work rather than continue her studies away from home.
2) This reminds me of something I studied in school, about the structure of children's stories versus young adult stories. In the traditional arch of a children's story plot, the main character generally goes from Home, Away from Home, and Back Home. Think of Dorothy, who leaves Kansas for Oz but ultimately returns to Kansas. A coming of age story, which is often YA, usually sees the main character go from Home, Away from Home, and Staying Away from Home, when the plot is resolved and they find their place in the world. Think of Jo from Little Women, who starts her story at home and then goes to work in the city and then finds her place, still away from home, starting a new school. Anne Shirley might have taken a similar arch as Jo, and in some ways she does as she takes a job teaching, but the author leaves the story with Anne making the decision to return home rather than venture out. This defies the 'traditional convention' I just explained above, because this story IS a coming of age story, and Anne shows her growth and maturity into adulthood THROUGH her choice to stay at home with Marilla. It really is very special, because the author maintains the structure of a children's story while giving us the emotional development of a coming-of-age plot for Anne. I can't see a modern-day story doing the same, as I think we focus now on young adults seeking self-actualization and their place in the larger world. It's lovely that Anne finds her place and herself through Green Gables.
3) I'm glad you hear to enjoyed the PBS series, Kyland! I have to admit it was not my favorite version, as I will forever have such wonderful memories of the Canadian Broadcasting adaptation. That said, it did make some interesting choices to add drama and suspense to the story, such as the scene when Anne falls through the ice and Matthew rescues her. I found that this scene, although not in the book, accomplishes the same thing as Anne's fall from the ridge pole in the book, when she breaks her ankle. It helps Marilla to realize how precious she has become to their family. There again, the PBS series stops short of letting Anne fall from the roof top, with Miss Barry interrupting the event and then giving Anne a different lesson/moral to take away, about loyalty to her friends, which then contributes to her decision to continue snubbing Gilbert for different reasons than those in the book! These decisions, I felt, make the PBS version perhaps more friendly to young viewers (no risk of viewers recreating a climb to walk a roof's ridge pole? and no bad example of Anne holding a years-long grudge against Gilbert, as much as just wanting to be a faithful friend to Diana?), but I was disappointed in these changes, to be honest. I think the author did a great job creating drama and suspense in her own subtle way, and these rewrites didn't bring that much benefit to the TV version to justify the changes. I also very much enjoy the ridge pole scene and don't feel Anne needed to borrow plot points from "Little Women" with the breaking ice. Anyway, I agree that this Anne was very well cast and made the version pretty enjoyable. She looks young enough to convey just how little Anne is when the story begins, something I can't say my favorite adaptation does very well. If you haven't seen more than one version, there is a wealth of Anne adaptations available that each have their own strengths. I also enjoyed reading the 2017 graphic novel by Mariah Marsden (also on Hoopla).