Gilbert Blythe

Gilbert Blythe was the son of John Blythe, the husband of Anne Shirley and the father of Joyce (dec.), Jem, Walter, Nan, Di, Shirley, and Rilla Blythe. After he finished school, he attended Queen's Academy and won a medallist. He then went on to teach for two years at a school in White Sands, before leaving for medical school to train to become a doctor, which he attended for three years.

After he left medical school and became a fully-fledged doctor, he married his childhood friend and schoolmate, Anne Shirley. The two of them had seven children together, the eldest of whom died at birth, and the third, Walter Blythe, died while fighting in the First World War.

Early life
Gilbert was in Anne and Diana's class in school although he was thirteen, because he had been away with his father for some time.

Teaching school
When Gilbert was around eighteen years old, he applied for the job of teaching the Avonlea school. Anne, however, had also applied for this school, because she wanted to be close to Marilla, as Matthew had just died. Gilbert, when he heard of this, heroically gave up the position and told the board of trustees to let Anne have the school. He then started teaching at the school in White Sands that September.

Redmond College
Gilbert attended Redmond College with fellow schoolmates Anne Shirley, Charlie Sloane, Jane Andrews, and others.

In college, he proposed to Anne, only for her to reject. Later, he half-gave up on her when Royal Gardner appeared on the scene, blowing Anne away with his good looks and manners. The two of them kept up this relationship for year, until Roy proposed to her, whereupon Anne realised she could never marry him.

Gilbert caught a fever he heard a rumour that Anne was now engaged to Roy Gardner and thought he'd lost her forever. But when Philippa Gordon, one of Anne's friends and housemates, wrote to him to assure him that there was nothing between Roy and Anne and urged him to 'try again'. The doctors were amazed at his speedy recovery after that.

Medical school
Gilbert attended medical school after leaving Redmond College. He and Anne Shirley, to whom he was now engaged, exchanged letters regularly while he was at medical school and she was principal of Sunnyside High School. They kept up this correspondence until they married at Green Gables three years later.

Marriage
Gilbert married Anne Shirley at Green Gables after they were engaged for three years. The wedding was small and private, with only a few people invited. Marilla was pleased with the marriage because she had been engaged to Gilbert's father, John Blythe, many years ago, but before they could marry, they broke up because of an argument. Marilla felt that Anne's marriage to John's son was a way of putting right what had been amde wrong many years ago.

Life at the House of Dreams
Two children were born at the House of Dreams in Four Winds, one of whom died at birth, and who Gilbert was worried would take Anne with, as she was very ill. However, she survived and later had a second child, James Matthew (Jem), who was named for Captain Boyd and Anne's guardian, Matthew Cuthbert.

Life at Ingleside
Anne and Gilbert had their remaining five children at Ingleside. They were Walter, Anne (Nan), Diana, Shirley, and Rilla. nicknamed bocy baby by him.

First World War
When the first world war broke out, Gilbert and Anne's oldest son, Jem, went off with his friend Jerry from the manse to fight. He went off "radiantly, as to a high adventure". Some time after, his second son, Walter, grappled with the decision of whether he should go off to war as well. He hated the ugliness of war, and had the excuse of having been sick shortly before to postpone his going. In the end he went, "in a white flame of sacrifice." When Shirley, his youngest son, turned sixteen, he went off to be a pilot "in a cool, business-like mood, as of one doing something, rather dirty and disagreeable, that had just got to be done."

Walter was killed in action in Courcelette (during the Battle of Flers), Jem was taken prisoner but came back in the end, and Shirley came back unscarred. His two older daughters, twins, Nan and Di, went to Kingsport to do first aid, and Rilla brings up a war-baby. She also becomes engaged to Kenneth Ford, the son of Anne and Gilbert's friends.

After his sons all went off to war, Gilbert was described as feeling that his house was very empty, no longer filled with children's laughter as it had once been.

Personality
Gilbert is very self-assured at first, and teases all the girls. Later, he realizes he isn't such hot stuff when Anne comes, since she is the first person to reject him. He becomes nicer and such as he gets older, and tries to apologise to Anne,who for a long time refuses to listen. When she finally does, he is a funny, mature young man, and very good friendship material. He is very caring and sweet by the time he marries Anne.

Appearances

 * Anne of Green Gables (first appearance)
 * Anne of Avonlea
 * Anne of the Island
 * Anne of Windy Poplars
 * Anne's House of Dreams
 * Anne of Ingleside
 * Rainbow Valley
 * Rilla of Ingleside