There is wide dispute about LM Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables: whether it is a feminist novel, whether it should be a feminist novel, and what it actually suggests about women. Montgomery dissociated herself from the feminist movement; however she believed that women should have the right to vote (Cecily, 27). We can see evidence of his views in the women of Avonlea. Anne of Green Gables was written primarily as a "girls' novel", in which women are expected to behave in a certain way and embody certain characteristics. In this novel, gender difference is affirmed, but inequality is not (Montgomery and Cecily, 26). Avonlea women are primarily traditional, staying at home and raising families, but they are strong and have quite a bit of power in their narrow domestic spheres, also suggesting elements of modern women. Likewise, Anne is a strong woman, capable of facing a disadvantaged life and changing it. Anne's life is largely influenced by women: it is Marilla who decides that she can stay and who takes responsibility for her upbringing, while Matthew watches silently from the sides, only intervening when Marilla is not around. The knowledge, direction, advice, and examples provided by Marilla and other women are the most important factors in Anne's development into a socially accepted woman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Anne's wild imagination is something that makes her special and unique as a child, but there is no place for it in society, so Marilla feels it is her duty to repress it. If Anne had had the same personality and imagination as an adult, she would have been considered a frivolous careless person (Weiss-Town, 15). As a child, however, Anne can get away with saying and doing things she otherwise wouldn't do because she "was never taught what was right (Montgomery, 66)." The adult women in Anne of Green Gables have no imagination; when Anne asks Miss Barrie to try to imagine, she says, "I'm afraid my imagination is a little rusty: I haven't used it for a long time (Montgomery, 158)." In order for Anne to grow up and have her place in society, she too will have to put her imagination aside. So Marilla and the rest of the community are trying to fit her into the mold of a young woman by repressing her imagination. Anne's imagination is a source of both good and evil in her life, but because of the negative elements, Anne learns that sometimes it is better not to imagine it at all. As one chapter suggests, this is a “good imagination gone awry” (Montgomery, 0). One night Marilla tells Anne to go through the "haunted wood" to get something from Mrs. Barrie. Anne is terrified on the walk, thinking of all the ghosts that might live there… Upon her return, she tells Marilla that she will settle for “commonplace names after this” (Berg, 126). “He bitterly regretted the license he had given to his imagination (Montgomery, 165).” Anne learned about the dangers of imagination and the consequences it can have, scaring herself with made-up names and stories. Anne's desire to have beautiful auburn hair is similarly stifled when she mistakenly dyes her hair green, teaching her a lesson about vanity. As her caregiver, Marilla makes sure to insert a moral or lesson wherever she can, helping Anne understand how she can learn from her mistakes. Anne learns from her mistakes and never repeats them again. Over time she earns less and less, until she is fully socialized and conforms to society's expectations without even having to think about behaving correctly as she did as a child. This is themoment in which Anne successfully integrates into the community. Miss Stacy is another very influential role model in Anne's life. As her teacher, she helps Anne develop academically, but as a woman she helps her develop socially WELL. Anne demonstrates how much she has learned when Miss Stacy asks her to stop reading a certain novel and she complies. The book "was one that Ruby Gillis lent me", she explains to Marilla. “It was so fascinating and disturbing; it just made my blood clot in my veins. But Miss Stacy said it was a very silly and unhealthy book, and asked me not to read any more of it or anything like it” (Berg, 126). Anne does not question Miss Stacy's judgment; he admires her, wishing to become like her one day. The Gothic novel was considered inappropriate for girls to read, as it could seriously change their understanding of reality. It would be especially dangerous for girls with brilliant imaginations, like Anne. It was mostly girls who read Anne of Green Gables, so the novel functioned as a sort of instruction book for them, so that they could also learn from Anne's mistakes (Carol, 10). Anne's academic progress is quite astonishing, going from an ignorant orphan to being at the top of her class. As her teacher, Miss Stacy helps prepare Anne for a career in teaching, providing her with a way to support herself and make her own way in the world if necessary. Miss Stacy, perhaps more importantly, believes in Anne, accepting her and encouraging her to do her best, offering opportunities such as after-school classes to gain even more knowledge and increase her chances of higher education (Montgomery 242). Women could choose career or family, but not both; it was considered immoral for a family to have two incomes. When Anne talks about her classmate's ambitions, she says: “Ruby says she will teach only two years after she learns, and then she intends to get married. Jane says she will dedicate her whole life to teaching and will never, ever get married because you get paid a salary to teach; but a husband will pay you nothing and growls if you ask for a share of the money for eggs and butter (Montgomery 244). Ruby, like Anne, is putting off marriage, but Jane is more of the New Woman, choosing not to marry at all and support herself. Although these girls are all aiming for careers, teaching careers were generally acceptable for women at the time, so they are not making any progress in this regard; both of Anne's parents were teachers. Allen similarly affirms Anne, encouraging her “to do good in the world (Montgomery, 211).” When Anne is "in the depths of despair," humiliated in her room after the liniment incident, it is Mrs. Allen who comes over to console her, telling her that it wasn't her fault. “I'm trying to be as much like Mrs. Allen as I can, because I think she's perfect (Montgomery, 207),” Anne tells her friends. At the Ladies Aid Society meeting, when Mrs. Lynde says something negative about Anne, Mrs. Allen is quick to defend her, saying that she is "the brightest, sweetest little girl I ever met (Montgomery, 214.)." she is better than Marilla at expressing her love; serves as a mother figure, meeting Anne's emotional needs. Because of Mrs. Allen's acceptance, Anne has more self-confidence and desires to be good, partly to please her. “I hope to be a little like Mrs Allen when I grow up (Montgomery, 211)” Anne says to Marilla. Mrs. Allen, as the minister's wife, would also have been a good example for Anne in matters of religion. He had a huge influence on Anne, simply because of his gentle acceptance of her. In this way Anne learns toaccept others too. Rachel Lynde is another powerful influence in Anne's life. Because she takes so much pride in speaking her mind (Montgomery, 64), people are careful about what they say to her or around her. Through Mrs. Lynde, Anne learns the importance of "holding her tongue." When Mrs. Lynde first meets Anne, she berates her for her appearance, and Anne lashes out at her in retaliation, criticizing her to her face. To regain acceptance from Marilla and the other women in the community, she must succumb to Marilla's punishment and apologize to Rachel Lynde, humiliating and humiliating herself (Montgomery 72-74). Once Anne gives in to women of greater authority, she begins to find her place in society. Before this incident with Rachel Lynde, Marilla tells Anne to hold her tongue and she continues to talk (Montgomery, 57). In contrast, when Josie Pye later calls Anne a scarecrow, Anne does not react. Having a place in society means having rules and consequences for breaking them. After Anne experiences the consequences of not holding her tongue, when Marilla tells her to do so on the way home from Rachel Lynde's house, she complies (Montgomery, 76). This is a key point in Anne's development. Rachel and Marilla are both very strong women, women in charge of their homes. Rachel believes that women should have the right to vote. A group of women go out to meet the prime minister and take Thomas with them to look after the horses. Even though they don't have the ability to vote, they still care a lot about politics and what's happening in Canada. In this sense, the women of Avonlea are models of the New Woman. “Brains over beauty” is a recurring theme in Anne of Green Gables. Marilla describes Diana as “good and intelligent, which is better than being pretty (Montgomery, 58)”. Anne is very concerned about beauty and appearance. He hates his red hair and freckles, and lashes out at anyone who points them out (e.g. Gilbert and Rachel Lynde). Marilla had had a similar experience as a child, hearing her aunts say "what a pity she is such a dark, homely creature (Montgomery 68.)." It took Marilla 50 years to get over this. He is passing on his wisdom to Anne, so that she will learn that there are more important things in life than beauty, and she won't spend 50 years wishing she was beautiful. “I would rather be pretty than smart,” Anne admits to Diana (Montgomery, 152). After Anne receives a compliment about her nose and takes it to heart, she asks Marilla what her thoughts are. Marilla thinks she has a nice nose, but doesn't want Anne to be a vain girl, so she doesn't tell her; he doesn't want Anne to be so concerned about beauty (Montgomery, 151). The fact that intelligence is favored over beauty shows how the New Woman culture is mixed with the traditional culture of Avonlea. In the past, beauty was important because it guaranteed the husband could take care of and support women; Now that they could support themselves, the relative importance of beauty was changing. Although Matthew and Marilla are so dark and have grown up in a strict and “joyless” home, they do not have a limited view of women and allow Anne more freedom to live. become the “New Woman”. Marilla places great value on women's education; he felt it was important that “a girl should be fit to earn her own living, whether she has to or not (Montgomery, 242).” She is the one who first broaches the topic about being a teacher to Anne after Miss Stacy comes to talk to her. He tells Anne that “we have resolved to do our best for you and give you a good education (Montgomery, 242.).” This is in contrast to Diana's mother, who believes thateducation is wasted on women. Mrs. Lynde similarly disapproves of education. The division among the female community in terms of education shows the contrast between the old and new values, signifying that this is a transition phase. Since Marilla approves of her being educated, Anne happily accepts it. She mentions having dreamed of Queens for months, but doesn't mention it until Marilla does. As the novel progresses, Anne's imagination is increasingly repressed in order to have a place in society and be accepted by the women of the world. community. This is something Anne has to earn; it was not given to her. At the hotel concert, Anne is applauded for joining the society and reciting someone else's words, instead of her own. It was Marilla's job to change Anne's voice, and it is an extremely difficult task. Before Anne leaves to go to Queens College, Marilla gives her a dress, not one of the simple ones she usually makes, but a beautiful green dress. “Anne put it on one evening for Matthew and Marilla's benefit, and recited 'The Maiden's Vow' for them in the kitchen” (Montgomery, 304). Anne is fashionable here, reciting someone else's words for the benefit of Matthew and Marilla, for the consideration of others, and she does so in the kitchen, a very domestic place. She basically became “the angel of the house”. Marilla remembers what Anne was like and it brings tears to her eyes (Montgomery, 304). Anne assures her: “I haven't changed, not really. I just got pruned and branched… (Montgomery 304).” The words “pruned and branched” sound very artificial. It's as if Anne is repressing her true self, no longer letting herself be unleashed; but holding back. Perhaps Marilla realizes this and is a little saddened by it. She longs for the old and young Anne who had not yet joined society, even though it was Marilla, Rachel Lynde and the other women in the community who pressured Anne to conform to their ideals and vision of femininity in a predominantly female community (Weiss -Cities, 13). In Avonlea, women's values ​​were valued more than men's, making them the ones who influenced Anne's development the most (Berg, 127). Anne was taught how to be a good wife and mother from an early age, working in homes, taking care of herself. children at the age of 11. This also influenced her development as a woman; Anne has no false fantasies about what it would be like to raise a child. He is able to save Minnie May's life thanks to this knowledge from past experience. Anne makes no definitive choice about her life in this book, but in later books Anne's dreams ultimately lead to marriage and motherhood, not literary fame. Anne puts off this “destiny” for a while, experiencing what it is like to be a New Woman. Anne is a new woman in many ways: she gets a higher education, wears divided skirts, goes around on an accompanied bicycle, and so on, but she still retains the traditional values ​​of family and home. She's not entirely traditional, but she's not a new woman either. Although Anne wins a prize, it is the English prize, a traditional female subject. Gilbert takes all other prizes. The most influential women in Anne's life, with the exception of Miss Stacy and Marilla (although she still raises Anne), are married and have had children; Rachel Lynde, for example, "raised ten children and buried two of them (Montgomery, 66)." It's no wonder Anne follows suit. After Anne gets married, her life is quite boring compared to the exciting surprises of her childhood. An interesting view of Anne that aligns very much with Mary Wollstonecraft's thinking is that, as Anne becomes an ideal woman at the end of the book: she never stops being achild (Weiss-Town, 12). She is no longer encouraged to think for herself and be imaginative; but is encouraged to memorize and recite other people's prayers and poems. Marilla begins to enforce this from the beginning, making Anne learn the Lord's Prayer instead of making up her own (Montgomery, 55). The only dispute with this idea is that Anne actually got a decent education, especially for a girl, and had the opportunity for a higher education. The presence of this choice is what is truly important. The lives of women in Anne of Green Gables revolve around the home and domestic ambitions. The chapter titles themselves illustrate the importance of stereotypical female domestication and religion (Carol, 11). "Anne Says Her Prayers", "Anne's Education Has Begun", "Anne's Impressions of Sunday School", "A Storm in the School Teapot", "Diana is Invited to Tea with Tragic Results", "Anne she is invited to tea,” etc. (Cecily, 15). Looking at the chapter titles, we can see that tea parties and concerts seem to be an important part of Anne's life abundance in the novel emphasizes the importance of femininity. She can invite Diana to tea while she is at the relief society meeting. She exclaims, "He will look so nice and grown-up" (Montgomery, 163). .“Oh, Marilla, it's a wonderful feeling just to think about it!” (Montgomery, 164). she intrinsically likes tea parties or whether she likes them because that's what all girls her age like, it doesn't matter. Anne is encouraged to engage in feminine activities. When she goes to Rachel Lynde's house to apologize, Rachel tells her "you can get a bunch of those white June lilies in the corner if you want (Montgomery, 74)." Rachel automatically assumes that Anne, as a girl, would like to engage in "feminine" activities. While Marilla is away, Anne's main responsibility is to prepare dinner for Matthew and Jerry, the role traditionally performed by a woman (Montgomery, 163). Anne is a woman in the making, eager and proud to take on the responsibilities of older women, people she respects. Anne, as a woman, is very feminine, always up to date with the latest fashions and styles. Overall, although Anne does not make any final decisions about her life in this novel, it still portrays the stereotypical female lifestyle of girls in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. they were expected to have. Anne begins as a small, “ugly,” behaviorally imaginative orphan girl; but she is transformed by Marilla and the female community of Avonlea into a model woman. His imagination is contained, it is “pruned and branched,” and he is able to save Marilla from having to sell Green Gables, her childhood home. Anne of Green Gables is creating separate worlds for men and women, portraying the woman's world as much more interesting (Berg, 127). The world of women is not presented as completely limited as it was in the past: in Anne's time women had more options. The 1896 Halifax Herald stated that “only extraordinary, highly motivated women like [Montgomery] could venture beyond motherhood” (Cecily, 32). This shows the dominant view of the time. Montgomery agreed, saying that women should not have any career other than that of wife and mother, unless they can do their jobs without interrupting these responsibilities (Cecily, 26). Although Anne has avoided making definitive decisions by the end of this novel, her decisions ultimately have./>.