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Originally Posted by Catlady
I didn't feel there was necessarily a disconnect between Anne's early upbringing and how she acted--the disconnect I saw was between her circumstances as an orphan going to a new place and her confident talkativeness. I guess that talkativeness could have been covering anxiety, but I didn't get that vibe. Her dismay at the prospect of being sent back didn't seem at all genuine--she'd been so over-the-top already that it seemed merely more of the same histrionics, and at least a little bit manipulative.
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It didn’t seem manipulative to me; what could she hope to gain? However, it did seem of a pattern with her apology to Mrs. Lynne; she might as well get what enjoyment out of the situation she could, by her extreme dramatics.
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She was quite overpowering, forcing people to fit into whatever box she wanted them to inhabit. Except for Gilbert, did she ever allow anyone in her orbit to abandon the box she'd put them in, sometimes before she'd ever even met them?
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I think this is similar to my comment that Anne thought people were kindred spirits because they thought Anne was wonderful. It would have been good if, even just once, Anne liked someone who wasn’t interested in her. This actually speaks to Gilbert’s strength of character, since he liked Anne on her merits despite her eternal resentment.
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Re cracking the slate over Gilbert's head--sure, it's funny, but is it really meaningful? Anne acts because she's been insulted; I would like it better if her action had been in response to an insult to someone else, if she'd stood up for someone else. As it is, it's just another over-the-top reaction.
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I think it’s important for two reasons. One, Anne is never crushed; she’ll lash back. I think Gilbert was asking for it, too. About time. Because, two: the more typical girl reaction was Diana’s enjoying having Gilbert tease her. Why should that be the norm? A boy teases and a girl has to take it.
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I think I like Pollyanna better, perhaps influenced by Hayley Mills.
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I was a sucker for Hayley Mills in the day.
