A Feminist Approach to 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: A, University of Gdansk (English Philology), course: American Studies, language: English, abstract: To what extent does the representation of women (and men) in the work 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery reflect the place and time in which the work was written? How are the relationships between men and women or those between members of the same sex, presented in the work? The thesis deals with the question whether Anne of Green Gables series could be seen as a feminist one. Anne Shirley might be seen as a feminist character - she is smart, intelligent, achieves more than the majority of her peers, she is not feeble and she is able to escape some of the most prevailing stereotypes about women of the Western world. Anne Blythe, however, changes into a matron, whose only interests are gossiping, matchmaking and being Mrs. Dr., a respectable woman. Relationships shown in the earlier novels are quite feminist-they are either equal or the woman is the empowered partner. Characters are allowed to voice critical opinions on men and marriage, and these opinions are not ridiculed. Later on it changes for the worse-women are always the submissive ones, spinsters are not respectable, and unconventional opinions are mocked. Anne of Green Gables series is not a feminist one - only the earlier novels possess the necessary characteristics.