Green Gables by Sara Kumiega
For some background, Anne of Green Gables is a novel by L.M. Montgomery set in the 19th century about an 11 year old orphan girl named Anne Shirley. Anne gets sent to the fictional town of Avonlea to a farmhouse where two siblings reside. The siblings were expecting a boy to help out on the farm, but because of a mix up, they got Anne instead. There is lots of back and forth between the siblings and Anne, the latter trying to convince the siblings to let her stay in any possible way she can. Showing the persuasive and stubborn nature of Anne, eventually they fall in love with her and have no problem with her taking residence in the house of Green Gables, officially giving Anne her first real home.
“It's lovely to be going home and know it's home,” she said. “I love Green Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed like home.”
While the town of Avonlea is fictional, Green Gables is actually a real house that is located in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was owned by David and Margaret Macneill, cousins of Montgomery’s grandfather. So, while Montgomery did not live there, she spent a lot of time there visiting and lived nearby with her grandparents. She loved to explore the house and its surroundings and took great inspiration from it for her novels. She even wrote in one of her journals, “Cavendish is, to a large extent, Avonlea. Green Gables was drawn from David Macneill's house, though not so much the house itself as the situation and scenery, and the truth of my description of it is attested by the fact that everyone has recognized it.” Looking at this quote, one can see that Montgomery did not only take the physical aspects of the house for inspiration, she also took in account how the house made her feel and the atmosphere it evoked. From Green Gables, she not only got a setting for her novels, but also an ambience that reflected the mood she wanted to portray in her work.
“Dear old world', she murmured, 'you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”
Surrounding the house, the property also included lots of greenery and trails that Montgomery took as inspiration for her novels. Many trails are now renamed to match what Anne named them in the books, such as “Lover’s Lane,” the “Haunted Woods,” and “Balsam Hollow.” These places in particular show off how clever Montgomery is as a writer to take real life areas and use them to aesthetically enhance her novels while simultaneously telling readers how romantic and imaginative Anne is as a character. The names chosen are both a reflection of Anne and the setting, giving readers a visual aid for the environment and a kind of charming tone for the story.
“Because when you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worthwhile.”
The actual house itself and its interior is very homely and cozy which perfectly depicts the character of Anne and her desire to belong and to have a home. Throughout the novels, the house is described as welcoming and snug, always a place of comfort and stability even as Anne gets older and her life gets more complicated. It is constantly a place of shelter and safety, keeping away any sadness or pain that might threaten her. In contrast to other houses in literature that was written at this time, Anne’s house is truly a home that she takes great comfort in.
“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
As for the real house in its current state, of course it has been renovated, as it would look a lot less welcoming if it was not, but in general it is still the same structure as it was in the 1800s when Montgomery was around. However, the interior is more designed to capture how it would look if Anne lived there rather than a completely accurate portrayal of what the house looked like inside in Montgomery’s time. So the designs and furniture are drawn from the descriptions in the books and simply from looking at 1800s architecture.
Today, Green Gables is recognized as a Federal Historic Building by the government of Canada and operates as a museum of L.M. Montgomery and her novels. So, you are able to take a tour of the house and its surroundings which were, as previously mentioned, also heavy inspirations for Mongomery’s novels.
Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada. “Culture - Green Gables Heritage Place - Culture and History.” Parks.canada.ca, 16 Nov. 2022, parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/culture.
“The Haunted Forest the Lovers Lane - Review of Green Gables, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.” Tripadvisor, www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g499311-d186971-r324020469-Green_Gables-Cavendish_Prince_Edward_Island.html#photos. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.
Anne of Green Gables’ “Real Home” in PEI - Photo Journeys. 3 Aug. 2022, photojourneys.ca/2022/08/anne-of-green-gables-real-home-in-pei/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.
Quotes from: Montgomery, L M. Anne of Green Gables. New York, Grosset & Dunlap, 1908.
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