Green Gables Read-Along | Discussion 1

Hope you all are having a delightful Sunday! Today's discussion for the Anne of Green Gables read-along covers chapters 1-13. The main discussion is happening at Suey's blog, It's All About Books... You can hop over there to leave a comment or learn about the upcoming Twitter chat! Of course, you're totally welcome to comment here, as well. :)

Suey noted that the following questions came from various websites:

1. In chapter 2, when Matthew is driving Anne back to Green Gables, she asks him: “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.” Given her tragic childhood, how do you think Anne is able to maintain such a positive attitude?

My Thoughts: It is pretty incredible to see how positive Anne tends to be despite everything she's endured! But then, she seems to be the kind of person who feels everything in extremes, from the joyful moments to the "depths of despair." I definitely think her big imagination and eager mind help her find a positive side to her difficult circumstances.

2. Anne is insistent on renaming places and inanimate things. Why do you think she does this?

My Thoughts: I think Anne has a deep need for friends and a sense of belonging. As Anne says in chapter 5, "I like things to have handles even if they are only geraniums. It makes them seem more like people." When she names place and objects, she gives them personality and endears them more to herself. But I'm glad Anne now has a chance to make more friends and feel at home. :)

3. Marilla gives several reasons for finally deciding to keep Anne. What reason do you think most changed her mind?

My Thoughts: I guess it was probably Marilla's conscience that really swayed her. She had gotten to know Anne a bit, and it bothered her to think of leaving her with someone who would be unkind to her and mistreat her. But Matthew's love for Anne and Marilla's own growing fondness for her certainly played a part...perhaps the greater part? But it seems like she was fairly determined to send Anne back until she knew what Anne's lot would be if she left Green Gables.

4. If Anne grew up today, would she have been happier with how she looked? What would she have pined for, looks- and fashion-wise? What is our society's equivalent of plumpness, dark hair, and puffed sleeves?

My Thoughts: I think Anne still would find ways to compare herself and come up lacking. It's something we all can struggle with! If her story were contemporary, she might long for a more graceful figure, tame but attractively wavy hair, and the latest jeans or most stylish tops or accessories.

5. How would Anne have turned out if Marilla had let Mrs. Blewett take her? Would that life have crushed Anne's imaginative spirit, or would she have changed in a different way?

My Thoughts: I'm sure Anne would have found ways to hold on to hope, as she had in the other places she'd lived. She would have invented friends and found opportunities to daydream and imagine a different life for herself. But she might not have blossomed and flourished the way she does at Green Gables; she might have spent an unhealthy amount of time in her imaginings and never known real love and family.

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I'm really enjoying rereading this sweet story (I'm sure I've read it at least once!) and immersing myself in the beauty of Green Gables/PEI, along with the quirky but lovable ways of Anne Shirley and her new family and friends. Here are some of my favorite quotes so far...

• "Not even a brook could run past Mrs Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum."

• "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."

• "Listen to the trees talking in their sleep.... What nice dreams they must have!"

• "What good would she be to us?" "We might be some good to her."

• "It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will."

• "Down at the base of the cliffs were heaps of surf-worn rocks or little sandy coves inlaid with pebbles as with ocean jewels."

• "It gives you a lovely, comfortable feeling to apologize and be forgiven, doesn't it?"

• "Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them."

Don't forget to stop by Suey's blog for information about the upcoming Twitter chat! And please do share your thoughts about these topics or your favorite lines from the first 13 chapters of Anne of Green Gables. :)