Anne of Green Gables: May 2012

"Anne of Green Gables" a classic novel or not?

In this last post I will tell you why “Anne of Green Gables” can be considered a classic novel, but before I tell you, what is a classic novel? A classic novel is a book that can be enjoyed through different generations and not in just one time period and the reader is able to make connections with the book. A classic is always more than just a story, the writer wants to teach something to the reader. You can see that it has depth through its symbolism, themes and the message the story tells you. And it does not matter the time period you are in, you will be always able to connect with the story.

In Anne of Green Gables we can easily connect with Anne, the main character thought her conflict between imagination and social expectations. She is guided by her imagination and romanticism, and that does often lead her to some wrong directions. Her daydreams always pull her away from reality to her imaginary world. She is always pleased by that, but it often comes into conflict with Avonlea’s expectations of appropriate behavior. Readers who once experienced that can connect with the book and really understand how Anne feels about it, mainly children that are passing though it in the same moment as they read the book, they feel as they grow with the book.

One other aspect of Anne is that she is really easy to connect with is her sentimentality and emotions. As a child she is not able to distinguish between true and fake emotion, so her feelings run deep, she dreams with spirit, loves and hates with passion. Anne’s attachment to sentimentality can provide her a refuge from the real emotions of fear and loss that she experienced as a child. Her parents’ death left her at the mercy of others and made Anne be treated not with love and attention as every child should have, but with cruelty and carelessness. When she imagines sentimental stories, she can control the situation and only when she becomes an adult she can deal with real emotion. When Matthew dies, she experiences real loss and as a woman she can recognize her pain as a real emotion of the loss of someone dear and not the sentimental ones that she was able to control in her childhood games and imaginations.

Another point that people can connect with is Anne’s adoption. She was sent to a strange place and when she got there she felt unwanted because they were expecting a boy. But after they decided to keep her, she loved her life, did well in school and became successful. As most of the people she grew up, went to college, became a teacher which had always been her dream and fell in love, so it doesn’t matter so it doesn't matter the time period people read the book in they can always relate to these things in their lives.

So, in my opinion, “Anne of Green Gables” can be considered a classic novel because it was published 100 years ago and today people still like to read it. They can connect with the story because when you are a child you can have a conflict between your imaginations and what the social expectations are. When you suffer a loss, just like Anne you can try to refuge not to feel the real emotions. When you are adopted you could fell unwanted in the beginning and then fulfilling all your goals and dreams in the end. A hundred years from now, I think, these characteristics will continue to make this a classic novel.

Thursday, May 17, 2012