This month and the discussion has changed my ‘thoughts’ about AGG. I can now see the limitations in the writing (vignettes vs novel), and how characters like Diana don’t evolve. However, it hasn’t changed my ‘feelings’ one iota. I still treasure it, and think the world, and generations of children are richer for it.
I think that’s because I didn’t agree with much of what was said about Anne’s character. I don’t think she was portrayed as manipulative, etc. And I don’t believe Marilla and Matthew would have mistreated a boy. LLM was clear they intended to do well by him. I think ‘adopting him’ meant he would have inherited the farm, vs the status he would have somewhere as a hired boy. That’s today’s cynicism creeping into the book where it’s not there in the text. So just nah!
It was disappointing to me to see the prejudices. In particular I hadn’t picked up on the references to Acadians as a child and I’m glad I didn’t. I hate to think my French friends were probably hurt.
However, I’m not surprised to see the attitudes. I was listening to a radio spot this morning on
Hidden Figures. (
https://www.amazon.ca/Hidden-Figures...s=books&sr=1-1) Black female mathematicians at NASA hand calculated the work that sent Armstrong into space. Yet, the 1960s in Virginia they had to work in separate ‘coloured staff’ sections, and use separate bathrooms. And they weren’t invited to staff briefings because they were female.
It’s not that I think two wrongs make a right. Rather, I think AGG reflects attitudes of its time, but its intention wasn’t to advance or exploit those attitudes. And for me, that makes a huge difference in how I assess an older book, and whether or not I can read and enjoy it.