| "I read in a book once that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but I've never been able to believe it. I don't believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk-cabbage." This article is about the daughter of Gilbert and Anne Blythe. You may be looking for her mother, Anne Shirley; or her niece, Anne Blythe. |
Anne "Nan" Meredith (née Blythe) was the daughter of Anne and Gilbert Blythe, the younger sister of Joyce, Jem and Walter, the twin sister of Di, the older sister of Shirley and Rilla, the wife of Jerry Meredith and the mother of Diana Meredith.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Nan was born in 1895 in Ingleside, Glen St. Mary, five minutes before her twin Di, to Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. Their grandmother, Mrs. Blythe, visited Ingleside during their birth. Little Nan looked like her father and grandmother. She inherited their brown hair and hazel eyes and looked different from Diana, who had red hair and green eyes like their mother.
Nan was raised along with her twin sister and older brothers. Two years later, Shirley, the little brown boy, was born. Her youngest sister Rilla was born when the twins were four years old.
Nan inherited Anne's imagination, which caused many interesting adventures for her.
Bargains with God[]
When Nan was about seven she began to make 'bargains' with God, such as 'you-do-this and I'll-do-that'. Some of the things were no use, such as crawling 'round the barn 14 times, but some, such as never complaining about cod-liver oil again were a good use. Nan stopped when she made a bargain with God when Anne got sick. She promised to walk through the graveyard at night, since it would be terrifying. She tried to, and failed, though Anne got better. Nan eventually learned that God gives without asking and only expects love in return.
Daughter of Six-toed Jimmy[]
- "Nan had no idea that she was a heroine. On the contrary she felt very much ashamed of herself because it was so hard to do what was right and fair, so hard to keep from hating Cassie Thomas, so hard to keep from fearing Six-toed Jimmy, so hard to keep from turning round and running back to Ingleside."
- —Nan walking to the Thomas'.[src]
Lady with Mysterious Eyes[]
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This section is incomplete and needs to be updated. Please help Anne of Green Gables Wiki by expanding this section. Update for events from Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside. |
That Jerry Meredith and Nan may have feelings for one another was first hinted by Miss Cornelia. Before the war, the two young Glen residents often paired off at social events and were seen debating in the Rainbow Valley, a pastime which is said to be their "preferred method of sweethearting".
Personality[]
Anne, who was always called Nan, was a very blithe and dainty little maiden - Blythe by name and blithe by nature, one of her teachers had said. She inherited her mother's vivid imagination and joyful outlook on life.
When she was a little girl, some of the gossipy children in the area branded Nan as 'stuck-up', as she had a tendency to be quiet and walk with her nose tilted a little upwards. However, this behaviour can be attributed to the fact that Nan was attempting to cover up her shyness and insecurity.
Physical appearance[]
- "Nan's pretty, though, with her brown hair and eyes and her lovely complexion."
- —Anne Blythe describing her daughter.[src]
Nan was one of the prettiest girls in her neighbourhood, with velvety nut-brown eyes and silky nut-brown hair. Her complexion was quite faultless, and - unlike her redheaded mother and twin sister - she was able to wear pink, much to her mother's delight.
Even when she grew up, she remained one of the loveliest females of the area.
Etymology[]
Anne is a female given name of Hebrew origin and means He has favoured me.
- Nan was named after her mother, Anne Shirley. She is the second person to be named after Anne, the first being Diana's daughter Anne Cordelia Wright.
- Jem Blythe, Nan's brother, named his daughter after her and also their mother.
- Nan shared name also with Anne Bryant, mother of Miss Cornelia, and Anne Sweet, sister of Janet Sweet.
Behind the scenes[]
Trivia
- Nan and her twin sister, Di, were named after their mother, Anne, and her childhood friend, Diana Barry. Ironically, Anne has red hair and Diana is dark, whereas in the Blythe twins, Nan is dark and Di is redheaded.
- Nan and Shirley were the only two Blythe children who looked similar to their father Gilbert and also their grandmother Mrs. Blythe, with brown hair and hazel eyes. (Jem and Rilla had also Gilbert's eyes, but they were redheaded like Anne.)
- Although she looked like her father, she had her mother's personality and imagination.
- She was named after her mother, however, everybody called her Nan, to distinguish the two of them.
Gallery[]
| Anne of Green Gables Wiki has 5 images of Nan Blythe (view category). |
Appearances[]
Book appearances
Short story appearances
- The Road to Yesterday
- "The Twins Pretend"
- "Fancy's Fool" (mentioned only)
- "The Pot and the Kettle" (mentioned only)
- "Here Comes the Bride" (mentioned only)
- The Blythes Are Quoted
- "Some Fools and a Saint" (mentioned only)
- "The Twins Pretend"
- "Fancy's Fool" (mentioned only)
- "Farewell to an Old Room" (mentioned only)
- "The Pot and the Kettle" (mentioned only)
- "Interlude"
- "Here Comes the Bride" (mentioned only)