Montgomery: Developing Two Unique Characters
With a female lead which mimics her own life, L. M. Montgomery creates Anne of Green Gables and The Story Girl. In both novels, the female lead portrays the same character. Anne’s magnetic character exemplifies what pushed the novel from moderate to an exceptional. Although these stories seem American in nature, Montgomery grew up as a Canadian orphan, which orphanage drastically inspired many of her characterizations. Anne’s bubbly and dramatic personality attracts readers worldwide and crosses the barrier of time. Montgomery utilizes her life and the setting fashioning two unique characters which capture the imagination.
As a child, Montgomery became " Lonely and orphaned after the death of her mother …raised by stern Presbyterian grandparents in remote Cavendish"(Gammel). Left with her imagination and little else, Montgomery fanaticized stories like her own. A cousin of Montgomery – matured as an orphan and eventually adopted— like Anne, was predicted to be a boy. As her beloved protagonists, her imagination could get a bit out of hand, "Yet new evidence reveals that Montgomery also had a way of blending truth and fiction, past and present, consistently obscuring the "bald facts," as the fictional Maxilla calls them,"(Gammel). Her nature to elaborate refined the character of Anne, clearly fashioned the popularity of the novel. Montgomery’s desire to relive her life caused all of her books exist. Without her life’s story, the very foundation used as the basis for her novels would crumble.
Although the characters appear nearly interchangeable, some differences exist between them that make each unique. Anne’s "stubbornly optimistic" outlook on life sets her apart from Sara and portrays her competitive spirit (Setoodeh). Anne’s disposition maintains the beauty of life, “But I’m glad it’s not rainy today because it’s easier to be cheerful and bear up under affliction on a sunshiny day” even when she was within the “depths of despair” she recalled all that was lovely (Montgomery 32). Her positive nature, one that many would enjoy, and her faults are admirable also. Anne’s child like happiness continued as she grew older, but the mood continued to be cheerful. Her witty and competitive nature, “Composed of the fragments of a lifetime, charismatic Anne is a magnetic and modern character with the ability to recruit fans across nations and cultures, inspiring movies, musicals, and animation"(Gammel). All of her obscure mannerisms help the audience connect with Anne.
With Sara, the importance lies with the story. While Anne is dramatic, based solely on her feelings, Sara does anything to create the scene, for “if a dream escaped you, in what market-place the wide world over can you hope to regain it? What coin of earthly minting will ever buy back for you that lost and lovely vision?”(Montgomery 2107). The Story Girl sees the potential for a story, and knows how she can make people believe, even if only for a moment. Sara’s expressionism creates a stark difference between the two novels. Sara Stanley causes people to forget the world around them while Anne highlights the beauty of each leaf and blade of grass. The Story Girl creates mystery while Anne tries to find answers. Each girl is likeable, yet different enough to maintain the mood. Sara Stanley’s clinging to childhood creates a theme which separates itself.
Even though it contains American influence, there are still some characteristics which make it purely Canadian, "According to the 2005 Online Computer Library Center, Anne is the number one Canadian book held in international libraries"(Gammel). Regardless there are some instances where the Canadian nature is clear. From an outside perspective, the countries of Canada and America are very similar, in the day to day life, so it could be mistaken easily, just from ignorance. Since Canada, established country by several different countries in Europe— not as widespread as the United States— their culture, and way of life, easily relate to a large amount of people in both the US and Europe. These facts lead to the spread of Anne of Green Gables and The Story Girl throughout the world and contribute to its popularity now. As most people enjoy being around others similar to them, Montgomery kept in contact with other authors. This relationship caused critics to question how much of the novel actually was hers, "In spite of their acknowledgment of the similarities between Anne and other popular contemporary books, Canadian critics have tended to downplay Montgomery’s probable debt to other authors" and if its popularity grew because of the Americanized nature (Dawson 31-32). Although impossibilities lie in saying what specifically made the ranking of the book so high, one cannot deny that Montgomery’s life and the characterization of Anne played a role in raising its success. The green oasis causes a safe atmosphere in which physical harm rarely occurs. The landscape provides a creative environment for the play and enough room for their imagination to run free. Their haven,
It has long been recognized that Anne’s world reaches well beyond the Cavendish farmhouse where L. M. Montgomery penned the first of her series of nine books featuring the precocious redhead around whom an industry of books, film and stage adaptations, tourist sites and memorabilia, websites, and discussion and research groups has developed. (Clement 217)
This portrays the importance of the setting, for if it took place in the dessert, the story would lack quality. Without the rural, common place setting, the obscurity of the story would be missing. For the everyday tasks would change and slowly shift the story to something else entirely. The atmosphere controls the tone of the novels and shapes the countenance of the characters.
Within Anne of Green Gables, the plotline closely revolves around the typical one for an orphan. From containing two lives, having poverty and neglect in a past life, and a love of nature, are all predicted by the general plotline (Dawson 5-9). Anne story opens at the end of her first life. She recalls the trials of her life, the poverty and neglect she felt. Anne’s sunny disposition shines through, which characterization captured the audience’s imagination. Even the love of nature fits with her character. Leading to the accomplishment of obtaining the highest ranking in the queen’s exam, and beating her competition, Gilbert, whose friendship she accepts (Montgomery). The theme of happiness gained from hard work shown through Anne’s life, established by the plotline, and exemplified by the character of Anne and her interactions with the world, nature and everything and everyone in it. All together, this solidifies Montgomery’s ability to fit within the norm, and stand out at the same time.
Together the novels show how one life and nature can cause the public’s interest to refocus. All the components create a sense of familiarity which enhanced by the setting, develops the characters of Anne and Sara Stanley. Montgomery’s life inputs the individual details that other authors may have unknowingly seclude, for lack of experiencing the events themselves, or around them. Individually, the novels show themes of friendship, trust, and hardworking bringing happiness. Nature shown through each book develops the mood into nostalgia of childhood, and causes reminisce of fairytales. Through the character of Anne, Montgomery convinces the audience that reaching fantasies happens. Her novels show the blissful nature of childhood and the joy that children can radiate. Through the carefree joy of the children, the tone managed to stay light.
Works Cited
Collins, Anne, and L. M. Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables. London: Penguin, 2002. Print.
Clement, Lesley D. "Anne's World: A New Century of Anne of Green Gables." Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 8 Dec. 2011.
Dawson, Janis. "Literary Relations: Anne Shirley And Her American Cousins." Children's Literature In Education 33.1 (2002): 29-51. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
Gammel, Irene. "Looking For Anne." Beaver 88.2 (2008): 14-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Feb. 2012.
Montgomery, L. M. The Story Girl / Lucy Maud Montgomery. Fairfield, IA: 1st World Library, 2007.
Setoodeh, Ramin. "It's Still Not Easy Being Green." Newsweek 152.4 (2008): 48-50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.
