Anne Shirley

Anne Blythe (nee Shirley) was the daughter of Walter and Bertha Shirley, the wife of Gilbert Blythe, and the mother of Joyce, Jem, Walter, Nan, Di, Shirley, and Rilla Blythe.

Anne was teacher for two years before she went to Redmond College and earned a B.A., rooming with her friends Philippa Gordon, Stella Maynard and Priscilla Grant, and Stella's Aunt Jamesina in a charming little house known as Patty's Place. During her engagement to Gilbert, she moved to Windy Poplars (Willows in the British and Australian version), rooming with Rebecca Dew and two widows, Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty. When she married Gilbert, they moved to the House of Dreams in Four Winds, where she befriended Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia and Leslie Moore, a young woman trapped in an unhappy with an emotionally abusive husband, who, it was later discovered, had died years before. Anne helped Leslie find true love, such as she had experienced with Gilbert in her House of Dreams. After the birth of Jem, Anne and Gilbert moved to Ingleside, an old house in Glen St. Mary, where they expanded their family and lived for many years in happiness and prosperity.

Early life
"The east room was the one you were born in. I remember your ma saying she loved to see the sunrise; and I mind hearing that you was born just as the sun was rising and its light on your face was the first thing your ma saw."

- An old woman (the resident of the Shirleys' house after they died) commenting on Anne's birth

Anne was born in Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia, the only child of Walter and Bertha Shirley, both school teachers who died of scarlet fever a few months after Anne was born. Anne first stayed with the family her parents had rented from but was eventually sent to live in several different households before being taken to an orphanage from which the Cuthberts had requested a boy to be sent to them. A fateful mistake occurred, and Anne was sent instead.

Arrival at Green Gables
Anne was eleven years old when she was informally adopted by Marilla and Matthew.

When Anne met Gilbert Blythe on the first day of school, he had an instant impact on her. He teasingly called her "Carrots," an act which set in motion a long-time feud, the results of which touched both Anne's and Gilbert's lives far into the future.

Anne also became best friends with Diana Barry, the "bosom friend" she had always wanted. Mrs. Rachel Lynde also "speaks her mind" about Anne's hair at their first meeting, whereupon Anne displays a true redheaded temper. Anne grew to be loved by the people of Avonlea, and especially Green Gables.

School years


Anne went to the Avonlea school with her best friend Diana Barry. The first three weeks went fine, but trouble started when Gilbert Blythe arrived from visiting cousins in New Brunswick. The first day that he was back, he teased Anne about her hair and quickly learned the hard way that no one did that. After Gilbert called her 'Carrots,' Anne slammed her slate onto his head, breaking the slate in the process. For this, Mr. Phillips, the teacher, punished her by making Anne stand in front of the blackboard upon which he had written that she needed to learn how to control her temper. To make things even worse, Anne's name was spelled as 'Ann'. With that, the biggest rivalry in the history of Avonlea started. Gilbert tried to apologize to Anne, but she refused to listen. The next day, after being forced to sit with Gilbert as a punishment, Anne took her books home with plans never to attend school again. After a bit of persuasion from Mrs. Lynde, Marilla allowed her to stay at home as long as she still did her schoolwork, which Anne did.

In October, Anne invited Diana over for tea while Marilla was out, but things did not go as had so carefully planned. Instead of raspberry cordial, Anne accidentally served her currant wine, and Diana became drunk. Mrs. Barry was livid with Anne and told her that she and Diana could no longer be friends. Because of this, Anne decided to go back to school where she would at least be able to see Diana, even if they could not be friends.

In January, a worried Diana arrived at Green Gables saying that her little sister Minnie May had the croup, that her parents were out, and Mary Joe, who was watching them, was frantic. Anne hurried over to Orchard Slope with Diana and brought along a bottle of ipecac syrup. When they arrived, Minnie May was in a bad state, but Anne knew what to do because she had had experience with the croup before. Since she knew what to do, Anne was able to quickly help Minnie May. Several hours later Matthew arrived, having gone out for a doctor, but being oblidged to go all the way to Spencervale for one. When she learned that Anne had saved Minnie May's life, Mrs. Barry forgave Anne and allowed her and Diana to be friends once again.

Once again, trouble followed the two girls, because after a Debating Club concert, Anne was spending the night at Diana's and the two of them jumped onto the spare room bed. Normally, this would not have been a disaster, but as Diana's Aunt Josephine was in the bed, the two girls got into trouble. The next day Anne apologized to Aunt Josephine and found another 'kindred spirit', as she called close friends.

In August when Anne was about thirteen, she was at a party Diana held for the girls in their class. After tea, some of the girls started making dares. The first ones were simple, such as climbing to a certain height in a certain tree, hopping around the garden on one foot, or walking along the board fence. Anne was dared to walk the ridgepole of the roof by Josie Pye, and she took did. Unfortunately, Anne lost her balance, fell, and broke her ankle. Mr. Barry carried her home where a worried Marilla met them. Over the next several weeks while Anne was recovering, she got many visits from her classmates as well as the superintendent.

In October of the same year, Anne was back in school and was enthralled by the new teacher, Miss Stacy. The school decided to hold a concert on Christmas evening to pay for a schoolhouse flag. Anne got a part in a tableau with Diana and Ruby Gillis, a high-strung classmate. She was also chosen to recite two pieces. Puffed sleeves on dresses were fashionable at this time, and Anne wanted them more than anything. Stern and sensible Marilla refused to add any frills to Anne's clothing. Matthew went to the store and tried to purchase a dress, but was overcome with shyness. Later that day, he met Rachel Lynde and was able to tell her what he wanted for Anne. Mrs Lynde was understanding and purchased the cloth to make a lovely brown dress for Anne with rows of gathers and ruffles, puffed sleeves and a matching ribbon for Anne's hair. Matthew gave it to her for Christmas and Anne wore it to the concert. Miss Josephine Barry sent along a pair of slippers for Anne as a Christmas gift, completing Anne's outfit. Gilbert was so taken by her appearance and performance that he picked up a tissue paper rose which had fallen from her hair and put it in the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

During the school year, Anne formed a story club with several of the girls in her class. they all wrote stories, mainly romances, which always included a moral. Several years later at Redmond, she and her friend read over their stories and laughed at their youthful attempts to write tragedy and romance. However, Anne was inspired to save and re-write one "fairy story" which eventually became a source of income for her.

Anne had another mishap when she was about fourteen. This time it had to do with her vanity. She had purchased a bottle of hair dye from a peddler, thinking that it would turn her hair black, but instead it turned her hair green. Marilla was forced to cut her hair off short in order to get rid of the dye because it was a fast dye.

Soon afterward, while playing Lily Maid with the girls after reading Tennyson's poem 'Lancelot and Guinevere', Anne had another run-in with Gilbert. She was lying in Mr. Barry's flat-bottomed dory and drifting down the pond to the other end where the girls would be waiting, when the flat began to sink. She was able to get near enough to the pillars of the bridge to grab on to them before the raft sank, but she was stuck. A little while later Gilbert arrived rowing in another dory. He stopped and rescued Anne and once he had gotten her to shore, asked for her forgiveness again as it had been two years since the slate incident. Anne hesitated for a brief moment at this point, but still refused to forgive him.

The November Anne was fourteen, Miss Stacy organized a class for those who wished to attened Queen's Academy. Anne became a member of that class, as well as Gilbert. Diana however did not join as she was not going to further her education. Anne and Gilbert's rivalry was even stronger now that it was coming from both sides. Both students were equally determined to be top of the class. In the entrance examinations for Queen's, Anne and Gilbert tied for first. Since they were both going to attend Queen's, they could continue to fight for the top position.

Queen's Academy
Anne began Queen's in September 1880, when she was fifteen-and-a-half-years old. She took the accelerated program and graduated in one year. She also won an Avery scholarship, which would pay for part of an education at Redmond College. Anne was determined to win this scholarship, which she did. Her rivarly with Gilbert was still strong tied with him once again as Gilbert won the gold medal.

Soon after Anne graduated, Matthew died. Anne had been planning on going to Redmond, but decided against it in order to be with Marilla and to prevent Green Gables from being sold. She planned on teaching at the Carmody school as Gilbert had been given the Avonlea one. When Gilbert had heard about Anne's plans, he went to the trustees and had them give Anne the Avonlea school while he took the White Sands one.

At that point, Anne finally swallowed her pride and told Gilbert that she forgave him and so a beautiful friendship formed.

Teaching school
Anne became the teacher of the Avonlea school when she was sixteen. There she once again had adventures and her carelessness still played a part occasionally. One such event happened when she told Joe Sloane to throw the package he had just gotten into the fire as she thought it was a package of cookies from someone who had been making them for the students. It turned out to be a package of fireworks and pinwheels. The entire classroom was evacuated and it took several minutes before the classroom was safe to enter. This particular event happened on a bad day for Anne, so fireworks in the classroom put her in an even worse mood.

Anne taught at the Avonlea school for two years before heading off to Redmond.

Redmond College
Anne and Gilbert both went off to Redmond College the same year. Anne, who became known in Avonlea as the first pursued a BA in English. For the later two years of her studies, she lived with several of her closest girlfriends, minus Diana, at Patty's Place. She also had several romantic excursions. Among them were several marriage proposals, all which were refused. Her first proposal wasn't even in person - Billy Andrews had his sister Jane ask Anne for him! Charlie Sloane also asked for her hand, and was promptly refused. But the most significant refusal was given to Gilbert Blythe, who in the wake of her rejection moved on to a new relationship with Christine Stuart - a girl that Anne immediately loathed. Anne also moved on, this time with her romantic ideal: Royal Gardner. Roy was rich, good looking, and spoke to her in poetry. Everyone, including Anne herself, assumed that they were going to be married - that is until Roy asked and Anne opened her mouth to say "Yes" but suddenly said "No" instead. Suddenly, she had realized that Roy wasn't right for her.

She didn't realize who was right for her, however, until after she returned home to Avonlea following graduation and a trip to see friends at Echo Lodge. "Say, Anne. Did you know that Gilbert Blythe was dying?" Davy had asked. She went white. In that moment, she knew. She loved Gilbert, and now he was dying of fever, just like her parents. Gilbert didn't die, however. His relationship with Christine was also only a ruse - Christine was engaged to a friend of Gilbert's from Queens. Prompted by a letter sent by college pal Phil, Gilbert proposed a second time, and this time, Anne gave the answer he wanted.

Summerside High School
After graduating from Redmond and accepting Gilbert's proposal, Anne taught at Summerside for three years, while Gilbert finished medical school. Anne often wrote letters to Gilbert in her Tower room. She read his letters to her across the road into the grove.

Troubles with Pringles
On September 11, 1887, Anne arrived to Summerside along with Rachel Lynde. In the train Anne had one of her adventures.

"I got up and, stooping to pick up Mrs. Lynde's suitcase, I leaned my knuckles heavily on what I thought was the shiny arm of a seat. In a second I received a violent crack across them that nearly made me howl."

- Anne described her adventure in letter to Gilbert Blythe.

That she had taken for the arm of a seat was a man's bald head. He was glaring fiercely at her and had evidently just waked up. She apologized and quickly got off the train.

Tom Pringle's wife had been boarding the various principals of the High School for fifteen years. But she refused Anne, so she and Mrs. Lynde went to Mrs. Braddock's. She advised them visit Widows' house, Windy Poplars. Rebecca Dew liked Anne, so Aunt Kate and Aunt Chatty took her. Anne got the Tower room.

Anne started her principalship at Summerside High School a few days later. Her class was full of Pringles or half-Pringles. The ring-leader of them was Jen Pringle. Anne was invited for supper in several Pringles' houses. James Pringle, Jen's father, talked a great deal about discipline. Morton Pringle didn't hear Anne when she was talking and Stephen Pringle's widow wrote her polite and poisonous letter. Anne's Pringle students were late for lessons and Jen drew Anne's caricature on the board. When she kept her after school, Ellen Pringle, one of Maplehurst ladies, came to school and took Jen with her.

In October, Anne met little Elizabeth Grayson, her neighbor from the Evergreens. She was also invited to Maplehurst, where she met Sarah Pringle. In November, Anne was invited to many suppers to her students' homes.

"Gilbert darling, I am so sick of pumpkin preserves! Never, never let us have pumpkin preserves in our house of dreams."

- Anne's letter to Gilbert.

Then Anne oranized High School Dramatic Club and directed play Mary, Queen of Scots. Jen Pringle played Mary, but Anne thought Sophy Sinclair was better for Queen Mary. She became Sophy's coach and went home to Windy Poplars with Sophy every afternoon when school came out and rehearsed it in the tower. They had a lot of fun together, for Sophy was full of quiet vivacity. On day of the premiere, Jen didn't came to school and her mother announcedthat she was ill. Sophy replaced Jen and the play was succesful.

One evening she went to old graveyard where she met Valentine Courtaloe. Valentine told her all about dead Summerside residents, many members of Courtaloe and Pringle family.

In December, Anne visited her student, Wilfred Bryce, at his home in Lowvale. She found Andy Bryce's diary, where he mentioned Abraham Pringle, father of Maplehurst Ladies. She sent it to them because she thought that they enjoy the diary. A few days later the Maplehurst carriage drove along Spook's Lane and Ellen and Sarah Pringle came to Windy Poplars. They apologized to Anne and dispute Pringles-Shirley ended.

Marriage
""There's never been a wedding in this house," she said, half apologetically, to Mrs. Rachel Lynde. "When I was a child I heard an old minister say that a house was not a real home until it had been consecrated by a birth, a wedding and a death."

- Marilla to Mrs. Lynde on Anne's wedding

Anne realized she loved Gilbert after he underwent a near-death experience. He proposed (for the second time) and this time she accepted. They were married at Green Gables and their wedding was the first to take place at Green Gables.

Life at the House of Dreams
Gilbert and Anne move into the "House of Dreams" by Four Winds Harbor. There, Anne meets Leslie Moore (nee West), Corneila Bryant, Captain James "Jim" Boyd, Dick Moore, and Susan Baker. She gives birth to her first child, Joyce Blythe, who dies shortly after. Her second child, James Matthew Blythe "Jem", is born there too, and he lives. She, Gilbert, and James Matthew deciede to move into the Morgan place, and leave the House of Dreams at the end of Book Five.



Life at Ingleside
The Morgan place, renamed Ingleside by the Blythe family, was bursting with action. In this house, Anne's other five children: Walter, Nan, Di, Shirley, and Rilla were born.

First World War
When the Fiirst World War began, Anne's eldset son, Jem, signed up immediately. Later on, her second son, Walter, joined up as well. Anne was distraught when Walter was killed in action. In 1917, her youngest son Shirley, joined the Flying Corps. Through all of this, Anne remained strong, but there were times when she was extremely worried. She was very thankful when the war was finally over and her children came back.

Personality
Anne was a very cheerful person, but at times could get very careless. This carelessness was often the cause of her mishaps. She did everything from startching Matthew's handkerchiefs to putitng liniment in a cake. As she got older, she became more careful. Also, Anne was very determined and did not give up easily.

Walter and Bertha Shirley
"Come to look at you, I see the resemblance. You're complected like your pa. He had red hair. But you favour your ma in your eyes and mouth. She was a nice little thing ... They was buried in the one grave and the School Board put up a tombstone to them as a reward for faithful service."

- An old woman (the resident of the Shirleys' house after they died) telling Anne about her parents

Although Anne couldn't remember her parents, as they both died before she was a year old, she remembered their names and spoke of them with respect and love. She was overjoyed when she visited Bolingbroke with Philippa Gordon while on holiday from Redmond, as it meant that she could visit her parents' home.

While there, she obtained a set of love letters from her mother and father to each other from the woman who currently owned the Shirleys' old home.

Diana Barry


Diana and Anne became best friends upon their first meeting, when Anne asked Diana to 'swear eternal friendship' with her. The two kept their promise and both of them were broken-hearted when Diana's mother wouldn't let Diana play because Anne accidentally set Diana drunk on currant wine. Mrs. Barry later forgave Anne when the latter saved Diana's little sister's life, and Diana and Anne were reconciled.

Etymology
"I would love to be called Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."

- Anne to Marilla Cuthbert when asked her name

The name Anne means 'gracious'. Anne's last name, Shirley, means 'bright clearing'.

Anne's name is pronounced Ann, but if it is spelled without the 'e' she gets very angry as she dislikes the name 'Ann' but loves the name 'Anne', similar to how she dislikes 'Catherine' but likes 'Katherine'.

Behind the scenes

 * In the 1985 film titled Anne of Green Gables, Anne is playedMegan_follows.jpg by Megan Follows. Megan also portrayed Anne in the film's two sequels, Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel and Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.

Book 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

Appearances in short stories

 * Chronicles of Avonlea
 * Further Chronicles of Avonlea
 * The Blythes Are Quoted

Film appearances

 * Anne of Green Gables (1934 film)
 * Anne of Green Gables (1985 film)
 * Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel
 * Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story
 * Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning