By Viola Ashford
L.M. Montgomery's classic stories, especially her warm-hearted
series about Anne of Green Gables had a strong influence on my
girlhood, and that of many women of my generation. Still popular,
the 'Anne' books are constantly re-printed, have been made into a
high-rating TV series, and are the subject of a mailing list on the
internet. Sadly however, the series is not as widely-read as it once
was. Many of today's teenage novels are pessimistic, dealing with
dark issues such as depression, drugs and teenage suicide, often
awakening feelings of despair and hopelessness.
The 'Anne' series is set in the late 19th century on the
beautiful Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, off the coast
of Nova Scotia. When the story begins Anne is an 11 year-old,
red-haired orphan mistakenly adopted by stern Marilla and her kindly
brother Matthew, who were expecting a boy to help out on their farm
Green Gables.
Sunny-natured, feisty Anne soon charms her way into their
hearts and the hearts of those in the little village of Avonlea,
even though she annoys Marilla by constantly getting into 'scrapes'.
These misadventures include being nasty to Marilla's best friend when
her red hair is criticised, accidentally making herself and her best
friend Diana drunk on Marilla's home-made wine, and mistakenly dying
her red hair green.
Anne has to cope with experiences common to many girls of her
age, for example, being taunted at her new school, worry about her
marks, and malicious friends. She also, at 16, has to bear the
sorrow of her beloved Matthew's death. Heroic Anne survives all
this with flying colours.
Clever, independent and ambitious, Anne, the daughter of
school teachers, unlike most girls of her time, wants a career.
She obtains a B.A, the first person from Avonlea to do so, and
fulfills her ambition to become a high-schoolteacher.
The girls who read about Anne cried for her when Matthew died,
worried about how she would get out of her scrapes, and cheered for
her when she went to university and obtained her B.A.
As a teenager Anne was one of my role-models. She confronts
her problems optimistically, with charm and grace.
She is determined to achieve her ambitions and does this under
difficult circumstances at a time when women were not encouraged
to pursue careers. Many women all over the world owe their desire for
an education and career to her example.
More importantly than that, however, Anne, with her
courageousness and optimism, showed how life should be lived.
About the Author
Viola Ashford has had feature articles published in Alive Magazine (a
national family spiritual magazine), Writing Australia (on legal subjects)
and Family Tree Connections Australia. She is also a regular film reviewer
for Alive Magazine and has reviewed many films, including An Ideal Husband
and The Winslow Boy.
More on Anne!
Anne of Green Gables
Delightful, unpredictable Anne Shirley has been charming readers of all ages throughout the world over half a century. The most popular and internationally acclaimed Canadian novel ever written is brought to the screen in a sparkling feature length version of the multi-award-winning miniseries that captures the story’s fairytale charm.
The story of the irrepressible, redheaded orphan who comes to live with brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert at Green Gables , stars Megan Follows in the title role of Anne. Veteran actress Colleen Dewhurst stars opposite her as Marilla Cuthbert and Richard Farnsworth plays Matthew Cuthbert.
Come see this product and other wonderful avonlea merchandise at the SullivanBoutique.com
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