Yet Another Period Drama Blog: Anne Shirley

Showing posts with label Anne Shirley. Show all posts

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Anne of Green Gables Week: Kindred Spirit Guest Post

I am extremely pleased to present to you all a guest post written by the most kindred of all my kindred spirits-- my amazing sister the Anne-girl. Anne and I have known each other for fourteen years now, and I honestly don't know what my life would be without her. She's hilariously funny, possesses great dramatic flair, is a Shakespeare nut, writes beautifully (go read her blog if you haven't already) and has the best imagination I've ever met. She's also head-over-heels-in-love with Sir Percy Blakeney (go figure) and is even more of a TSP fan than I am. Which is saying a lot.

I asked her to write a guest post for Anne week (because you can't have an Anne week without a few words from the Anne-girl herself, right??), and she very generously agreed to do so... without further bleating from me, here you go.

"If a person sorter sees eye to eye with you, and has pretty much the same ideas as you,and the same taste in jokes-why, they belong to the race that knows Joseph."

~Captain Jim, Anne's House of Dreams

The race that knows Joseph. Kindred Spirits. Bosom Friend. Aren't those just deliciously-icious phrases? In the Anne books one finds many and many a kindred spirit. There is Rebecca Dew, Little Elizabeth, Phillipa Gordon, Aunt Jimsie, Mathew, Gilbert, Captain Jim, Miss Cornelia, and Leslie Moore.

All of these belong to the race that knows Joseph. Anne loves them all and they all love Anne. But I have in mind a certain character who on the surface does not belong to the race that knows Joseph. Who does not appear a kindred spirit.

I speak of Diana Barry. I mean seriously, who would have thought that clever imaginative Anne would love practical not so clever Diana? And yet they are the most loyal friends you would ever hope to find.

Oh Anne! We thought you were drowned! And Ruby's
having hysterics., and..oh Anne!

ANNE: Your mother hasn't relented?

DIANA: I told her it wasn't your fault, and I cried and cried, but it's no use, Anne. We can't ever be friends again.

ANNE: Diana, will you promise never to forget me, no matter what other friends come into your life?

DIANA: I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Anne.

ANNE: Do you really love me?

DIANA: Of course I do.

ANNE: Nobody's ever loved me for as long as I can remember, except for Matthew and Marilla. Will you swear to be my secret bosom friend?

DIANA: But isn't it wicked to swear? We're in enough trouble already.

ANNE: Not when you're swearing a vow. I solemnly swear to remain faithful to my bosom friend, Diana Barry, for as long as the sun and the moon shall endure. Now you say it.

DIANA: I solemnly swear to remain faithful to my bosom friend, Anne Shirley, for as long as the sun and the moon--

ANNE: Shall endure.

DIANA: Shall endure. And as long as my mother doesn't find out.

ANNE: Oh, she mustn't.

DIANA: I have to get back; she'll be suspicious.

ANNE: Wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet black tresses?

DIANA: But I don't have any black dresses.

ANNE: Your hair.

DIANA: Alright. I have to go.

ANNE: Farewell, my beloved friend. Henceforth we must be strangers living side by side, but my heart will be ever faithful to thee.

What inspired that kind of loyalty? As far as I can see in the books at least Diana never made an amusing or intelligent remark in her life you're overdoing it Anne. Er, Diana is just not the brightest light bulb ever.

It is a little different in the movie. Diana is much more interesting in the movie.

Josie Pye: Hey, Anne, how do you spell freckle?
Diana Barry: Hey, Josie, how do you spell ugly?

See? OK maybe that wasn't the sweetest remark in the world or the most brilliant retort but it brings me to my next observation. Or remark or question if you want to be technical.

Diana Barry is the most loyal girl in the world. Even when Anne gets all the attention, all the praise, and Gilbert sorry but I had to stick that in somewhere, Diana is never jealous. Never. She always supports Anne builds her up never criticizes her.

Is this why Diana is such a good friend? Because she is so loyal? Does Anne love her because she can never do wrong in Diana's eyes? I hope not. That would like totally ruin my image of Anne, making her extremely self centered. And besides, Diana is loyal because Anne is her friend not the other way around.

So what is it?

I don't know.

Yup that's what I said. I don't know. I have no clue why Anne and Diana love each other so fiercely from the beginning. All I know is that they do.

Now before I go any further let me say that I do not believe in love at first sight. I do not think that dancing dreamily with a cute guy once and exchanging three words with him (see Cinderella) is a good basis for a happy marriage. However I do believe in kindred spirits at first sight. For some reason unknown to us certain people belong together. And when they see each other (or read each other's blog posts) something happens.

And I'm not talking about this.

Sorry but I couldn't help it. Hey at least I haven't mentioned Sir Percy yet! Give me some credit. OK back off the rabbit trail to the main road.

Anne met Diana and knew that they were destined to be friends.

And friends they became. Their friendship lasted. Through a separation. Through a jump on a bed. Through a wedding. And through a haunted wood.

The End

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Period Drama Heroines #1: Anne Shirley

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive-- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"
~Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables, ch. 2

Now before you all look at the title of this post and go, "What? Wait a minute..." and then scramble through my back posts wondering what on earth happened to Heroine #2, let me just say that she's coming. Eventually. But she isn't Anne, and I wanted to do Anne for Anne week, and so I muxed things ip a little. You'll survive.

So, my favorite period drama heroine of all time. I'm actually rather nervous about writing this post. I so badly want to do Anne justice, and I don't quite feel equal to the task of writing about someone I love and admire so much (yes, she's fictional--your point?).
Mark Twain once said that Anne Shirley was the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice (of Wonderland fame, for all you non-Lewis-Caroll-fans out there). This sweet comment almost makes up for his crack about Jane Austen. (The gall of that man. I don't care if he did write some of the best American literature ever, NOBODY says that kind of stuff about my Miss Austen and gets away with it. Nobody. Mark Twain is hereby subjected to the Miss Dashwood Malicious and Menacing Menace.)

See? This is Anne's reaction to Twain's audacity.

I'm going off on a rabbit trail again. Back to Anne.

So, why do I love Anne-spelled-with-an-E Shirley? Or should I say, how do I love her? Let me count the ways.

Firstly, she was born in March and all people born in that delicious month are automatically amazing in my book. :D Secondly, she is just so ridiculously endearing. She may be over-the-top at times, she may talk as if her tongue was hinged in the middle, she may get into countless scrapes, but you can't help loving her anyway. Anyway? What am I saying? You can't help loving her because of all the aforementioned aforementions!

One of the things I love about Anne is her refreshing real-ness. I firmly believe that the characters are the best part of any book worth reading, and Anne just makes her books sparkle. You can really imagine just sitting down and having a good conversation with her. She says things whenever they come into her head, with no worries or self-consciousness. This quote is one of my favorites: "I'm always afraid going over bridges. I can't help imagining that perhaps just as we get to the middle, they'll crumple up like a jack-knife and nip us. So I shut my eyes. But I always have to open them for all when I think we're getting near the middle. Because, you see, if the bridge did crumple up I'd want to see it crumple."

Anne talks. A Lot. Which is something that I can completely identify with, because I talk a lot too. "But I can stop when I make up my mind to it, although it's difficult."

But of course it's not that difficult to stop when it's physically impossible to say a single word.

Anne's imaginative. She's dreamy. She makes up things in her head when the reality before her isn't up to snuff. She doesn't let things get her down. Oh, sure, she's dramatic and emotional and has been known to sob her eyes out over the fact that her bosom friend will someday marry and leave her (I love that part) but in general she's an incurable, cock-eyed optimist.

Marilla: You set your heart too much on frivolous things and then crash down into despair when you don't get them.
Anne: I know. I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud.
Marilla: Well, maybe it does. But I'd rather walk calmly along and do without flying AND thud.

I'm more like Marilla, to be honest-- I'd rather do without the thud, and if it means doing without the flying, I'm okay with that. But Anne is not. Anne would rather fly. And then thud. Which she does, briefly, up on Moody Spurgeon's kitchen roof. :P

Anne is also one of the friendliest heroines I've ever been acquainted with. Obviously she and Diana Barry are besties, but just think of all the unlikely friendships that Anne forms over the course of the books and movies. Imagine, if you will, how sad and lonely Katherine Brooke's life might have been if it weren't for Anne. Without Anne, Leslie Moore would still be bitter and resentful, Philippa Gordon would be frivolously frittering her life away, Davy Keith might have grown up to be a juvenile delinquent and Josie Pye might have been even worse than she already is. Because how do you know that Anne didn't have a good influence on her? I mean, if Josie had never met Anne, she might have been a gazillion times more snotty and insufferable. If that is possible. My dad loves to quote Diana's line from the movie" "Josie doesn't have to cheat. She just does it 'cause she's a Pye."

But lest you begin to think Anne's perfect, I'll set you straight.

The real problem with Anne is that she doesn't see what's right under her nose for three entire books and two entire movies. She's so caught up in the "wings of anticipation" and her romantic dreams that she doesn't see the Prince Charming walking her home from teaching school every day. Roy Gardner and all his melancholy inscrutability seemed more attractive to her than the realistic, humorous, sweet, wonderful (and handsome, can't forget that) Gilbert Blythe. Now, we all know that she got over the childish grudge regarding the slate by the end of the first movie (and the first book), but it took her FOUR HOURS of movie-time in The Sequel (and two more novels) to finally realize that Gil was the one for her. And really, if he hadn't gotten typhoid, she might still be waltzing around with her head in the clouds... without him. That typhoid germ-virus-thingy was the real matchmaker. Emma Woodhouse can't even compete.

But anyway, regardless of how or when or where, she finally did come to her senses and realized that she didn't need diamond sunbursts or marble halls...

Everybody say "awwwww." Right now. (Please.)

(I didn't make this, by the way, but I can't remember where I found it.)

I've been known to frequently match songs with characters as if I were creating musicals, and when I think of Anne Shirley, the two songs that come to mind are "Pure Imagination" and "I See The Light". The latter especially.

All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be!
All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were.All at once, everything looks differentNow that I see you.

"I don't see how you could keep on loving me when I was such a little fool ... I don't want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU. You see I'm quite as shameless as Phil about it. Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more `scope for imagination' without them. And as for the waiting, that doesn't matter. We'll just be happy, waiting and working for each other--and dreaming. Oh, dreams will be very sweet now." ~Anne of the Island, ch. 41

Monday, February 27, 2012

Calling All Kindred Spirits

I absolutely love Anne of Green Gables. The character, the books, the movies, you name it and I'll be your friend forever. Anne Shirley is the quintessential literary heroine and, hands down, my favorite. Ever.

So it is with great excitement, a lot of thrills and a dash of romanticism that I announce the blog event I'm planning to host...

Anne of Green Gables Week, which will take place March 11-17, 2012. A six-day birthday party for the imaginative redhead in all of us, a literary blogging event for any and all kindred spirits who love Anne and love to laugh. (I hate coming up with taglines.)

When Anne tells Marilla about herself (the plain facts, not what she imagines about herself--sadly) she says that she was born in March in Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia. When you do the math and add up everyone's ages in Rilla of Ingleside (the only Anne book with specific dates) you can deduce that Anne was born in March of 1866. However, we don't know exactly when in March her birthday falls. I have always held to the belief that it takes place smack in the middle of the month, which is why this party celebrating dear Anne Shirley's 146th (yipes) will take place from the 11th to the 17.

*in a loud whisper* "And... that also happens to be my birthday [week]. Just so ya know." (It's not a birthday party for me. But I didn't mind planning Anne's birthday to coincide with mine. :) And I'm not turning 146. You may guess how old I'm going to be, if you like.)

I do hope you'll all participate in this celebration of Anne's birthday! I've been planning this event ever since November, and tried hosting the Jane Austen Birthday Party back in December as a sort of dry run. I was quite inexperienced then (and of course am oh-so-experienced now... HA) but I hope that now I've learned at least a little bit more about hosting a blog event. There will be guest posts, there will be movie reviews, there will be character quizzes and a dream casting for a new movie and some totally off-the-wall tag questions, and it will all be very, very romantic. (And by the end of the week, I probably won't ever want to hear that word again, Jane Andrews.)

So if you're of the race that knows Joseph, I would love it if you'd put one of these buttons up on your blog to advertise the event... and I'd love it even more if you'd also come back to Yet Another Period Drama Blog on March 11th to join the fun!

Large Buttons (450 or 500 pixels wide)