Marilla Cuthbert

Marilla Cuthbert was the sister of Matthew Cuthbert, guardian of Anne Shirley, Davy and Dora Keith, friend of Rachel Lynde and resident of Green Gables.

Early life
Marilla was born in 1824 in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, to Mr. and Mrs. Cuthbert. She was raised there along with her older brother Matthew. A few years later after her birth the family moved to Green Gables, a farmhouse which was built by Marilla's father.

In September 1830, Marilla attended Avonlea school. There she met John Blythe who was said to have been interested in Marilla once, and people called him Marilla's beau. Unfortunately, they had a quarrel and Marilla never forgave him. She eventually came to regret it and likely would have forgiven John Blythe if she had another chance.

Life with Anne
Marilla and Matthew were expecting a boy to help out around the farm - instead, they got the red-headed orphan, Anne. The two of them were debating whether to keep or send Anne back, but in the end Marilla gave in to Matthew's wish and decided to bring Anne up herself.

Living with Rachel Lynde
Marilla died in 1910 before World War I and after Jem, Anne's eldest son, went away to Queen's Academy.

Personality
"Marilla Cuthbert has got mellow."

- Mrs. Rachel Lynde about Marilla

Marilla Cuthbert was very good at keeping cool and hiding her emotions. When she was very happy, she became extremely emotional, but when the event was over, she quickly regained her cool demeanor. Marilla was much more formidable then Matthew, who possessed a very kind nature under his shy countenance. The only time she wasn't calm was during the storm of 1883.

Marilla had a crispness to her, as Mrs. Lynde would say. After Matthew died and Anne matured she got very mellow and showed her emotions a bit more.

Matthew Cuthbert
Matthew Cuthbert was Marilla's brother. He was a very shy man who lived at Green Gables with her, and later Anne, until he died near the end of Anne of Green Gables.

Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley was Marilla's adopted daughter whom she originally didn't want, but later found she couldn't live without. Marilla also had trouble adjusting to Anne's growth when Anne grew taller than herself and felt than Anne was no longer a child. Marilla felt that, in some strange way, Gilbert 's marriage with Anne would put right the old mistake of not forgiving his father.



Davy Keith
Davy Keith was one of a pair of twins that Marilla adopted when Anne was sixteen. She loved him dearly, though he got into scrapes a lot, a bit like Anne.

Dora Keith
Dora Keith was another one of a pair of twins that Marilla adopted when Anne was sixteen. She was very calm, demure, and ladylike. Anne once confessed to Marilla that she liked Davy better than Dora, even though Dora had practically no faults to speak of. (Which was probably exactly why the precocious Anne liked him better.)

Rachel Lynde
Mrs. Rachel Lynde was Marilla's good friend. She moved into Green Gables after her husband, Thomas Lynde, died. Marilla, however much she likes Rachel, is willing to contradict Rachel for Anne's sake.

Physical appearance
"Marilla was a tall, thin woman, with angles and without curves; her dark hair showed some grey streaks and was always twisted up in a hard little knot behind with two wire hairpins stuck aggressively through it."

- Anne of Green Gables, Chapter 1

Etymology
Marilla is a female given name, variant of Muriel or short form of Amaryllis and means shining sea.
 * Anne Shirley named her daughter Rilla after her. Years later, Rilla gave her daughter the same name.

Behind the scenes



 * Colleen Dewhurst portrayed Marilla in 1985 film Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987). She also portrayed her in several episodes of Road to Avonlea series and appeared in archive footage in Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000) and Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008). Colleen also had a house on Prince Edward Island.
 * Patricia Gage was Marilla's voice actress in Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series (2000-2001) and in 2005 video film Anne: Journey to Green Gables.
 * Fumie Kitahara was Marilla's voice actress in Japanese TV series Akage no An (1979).
 * Barbara Hamilton portrayed Marilla in 1972 TV series Anne of Green Gables and its sequel Anne of Avonlea (1975).
 * Margot Christie portrayed her in 1956 film Anne of Green Gables and also in 1958 film Anne of Green Gables.
 * Joan Miller portrayed Marilla in all six episodes of 1952 TV series Anne of Green Gables.
 * Helen Westley portrayed her in 1934 film Anne of Green Gables, also starring Anne Shirley as Anne Shirley.
 * Marcia Harris was the first actress who portrayed Marilla - in 1919 silent film Anne of Green Gables.
 * In Anne of Windy Poplars, it is mentioned that Marilla's mother (and hence Matthew's as well) was a Johnson.

Book appearances

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

Short story appearances
(mentioned only)
 * Chronicles of Avonlea
 * "The Winning of Lucinda" (mentioned only)
 * Further Chronicles of Avonlea
 * "The Little Brown Book of Miss Emily"

Film appearances

 * Anne of Green Gables (1919)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1934)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1956)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1958)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1985)
 * Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987)
 * Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000) (archive footage)
 * Anne: Journey to Green Gables (2005)
 * Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008) (archive footage)

TV series appearances
(2000-2001)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1952)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1972)
 * Anne of Avonlea (1975)
 * Akage no An (1979)
 * Road to Avonlea (1990-1996)
 * Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series

Notes and references
Marilla Cuthbert