Episodes

IMDb (2016) [Character Anne Shirley and Matthew Cuthbert riding a carriage]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6175932/mediaviewer/rm4068817664/

Moore, M. (2016) [Character Anne Shirley sitting on a bench]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6175932/mediaviewer/rm2558868224/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Episode 1: Your will Shall Decide Destiny

Summary: Two siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to adopt a boy as an extra set of hands. Matthew goes to fetch the new boy but to their surprise they have received a young red-headed girl, Anne Shirley. The two siblings disagree to what to do with the girl, Marilla wants to send her back while Matthew wants to keep her. They agree to keep Anne on a trial period. In the meantime, they hire a young boy named Jerry. News spreads that the Cuthbert’s are adopting a child so Marilla’s closest friend, Rachel Lynd, comes over to see the girl. She critics Anne’s appearance and Anne gets outraged, leaving Mrs. Lynd very offended. Marilla makes Anne apologize if she wishes to stay. The Barry’s, the Cuthbert’s neighbors, want to meet Anne as they have a young girl near her age, Diana. The two become best friends and swear an oath of friendship. The next day, Marilla’s broach goes missing and is quick to blame it on Anne. Anne lies and says she didn’t steal but rather lost it in the house. Marilla is furious and tells Anne to pack her things, she is heading back to the orphanage.

Analysis: In this episode we establish a lot of character’s roles and personalities. We have the stern mother-like Marilla, the shy and kind-hearted Matthew, and the imaginative Anne. We also are introduced to Marilla’s and Anne’s best friends, Rachel Lynd and Diana Barry. We see that Anne is very wordy and loves literature as shown through her first scene were she quotes “Jane Erye.” She is also a gossip as she makes an assumption that the Cuthbert’s never married due to a tragic past and tragic love, which we later learn is true in a further episode. We also establish social standings as we learn that Barry’s are of higher status and wealth, and how Anne is looked down on all her life due to her being an orphan. We also see Anne’s desire for a better and more exciting life as she tries changing her name to Cordelia or Penelope when she first meets Marilla and calling the white blossoming tree her first friend in Avonlea.

“If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, but your own conscience approved off you and absolved you from guilt you would not be without friends." - Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Episode 2: I am no Bird, and No Net Ensnares Me

Summary: Anne was sent off back to the orphanage early in the morning. However, she decides that she does not want to go back and tricks a milkman to give her a trip to the train station. Marilla finds her mother’s broach, and realizes she was wrong. She runs to Matthew and tells him about her mistake. Matthew runs out to try and catch up with Anne. After a long day of travel and an injury to the head, Matthew arrives to the orphanage to learn Anne is not there. He then overhears the milkman mention Anne and races to the train station. Back at Green Gables, Marilla is filled with despair. One day has passed and Matthew and Anne are not back home. She tries running out with a horse before Rachel Lynd stops her to tell her to go back home as Mr. Lynd rode out at the break of dawn to look for Matthew and Anne. Matthew finds Anne, but Anne refuses to go with him as they can just ship her away whenever they get mad. Upon hearing Matthew call Anne his daughter, Anne runs to Matthew and heads to Green Gables. The Cuthbert's, with Anne in hand go to a community picnic. The town of Avonlea is gossiping about Anne and isolate her, even the Barry’s will not allow Diana to be with Anne. Marilla apologize to Anne for jumping to conclusions and causing Anne to lie. Once back at Green Gables, the Cuthbert's have Anne sign the family bible showing she is officially a Cuthbert.

Analysis: In this episode we see how the town and society will treat Anne. Anne is always treated as an outsider. We see future characters such as Josie Pye and her family, belittle Anne. It could be a foreshadowing on the struggles that Anne will have to face within the town. We see Marilla letting her harsh exterior down for once and being vulnerable. We see how fond Matthew is of Anne, as he calls her “my little girl” and “my daughter” as compared to Marilla who does not allow Anne to call her Aunt Marilla as she is not her Aunt. This shows just how different the two siblings are. We once again witness Anne's desires to be unique in this episode as she tells the milkman how her parents were spies for the queen, the same lie she told Marilla when asked about her past. Anne uses her ability to imagine to her advantage something she will do often throughout the series.

Woroner, K. (2017) [Diana Barry walking alongside Anne Shirley]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6314718/mediaviewer/rm3030659328/

CBC (2017) [Marilla apologizes to Anne]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6314718/mediaviewer/rm3994432768/

Northwood Productions CBC (2017) [The Progressive Mother's Sewing Circle Meeting]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6314732/mediaviewer/rm2434151680/

CBC (2017) [Anne Shirley facing Gilbert Blythe at the schoolhouse]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6314732/mediaviewer/rm2181509376/

Episode 3: But What is so Headstrong as Youth

Summary: Anne is going to school for the first time and is gleaming with excitement. However, that excitement is quickly shut down as the girls at school shun Anne. Anne had witnessed a student and a teacher in the storage room holding hands. Anne tells Diana that they were probably making a baby. The girls of the schoolhouse, wanting to know the gossip, ask Anne about it. Anne tells them how her past caretaker would often have to pet her husband’s “pet mouse” and concluded that the two in the storage room were doing the same thing. They shun “dirty” Anne as they do not want to be corrupted by her. Marilla invited to join a Progressive Mother’s Sewing Circle but is quickly shunned after Anne’s scandal. To make matters worse, Gilbert Blythe takes interest in Anne. Anne is shunned once again because one of the girls has likes Gilbert. Anne tries her best to stay away but Gilbert makes it difficult. Even pulling Anne’s hair in the middle of class, causing her to hit him with a slate. Embarrassed she runs out of the schoolhouse and begs Marilla to let her stay home from now on.

Analysis: This episode is a more direct episode on the societal norms that Anne is struggling to understand. It makes us question how backwards the community could be. Anne is shunned for knowing how children are made, something that she found out against her will. The Progressive Mother’s Sewing Circle seems to be not progressive at all. They praises girls gaining an education but quickly takes away their support when those girls do not fit their standard of a perfect little girl. They also talk about how they hope their daughters could be teacher’s one day. They see this as the greatest thing a women could be, as the only other option is an educated wife and mother. They narrow down the paths of life a women could take, both of which require taking care of children. This episode shows how contradicting societal norms could be.

Episode 7: Season 1 Finale: Wherever You are is my Home

Summary: The Cuthbert's are struggling financially. Matthew takes a mortgage on the farm to buy new crops, unfortunately Matthew suffers a heart attack. Now the bank is threatening to take back the loan due to Matthew’s heart failure. Marilla stays home and takes care of Matthew as Anne sets off to pawn items and sell a horse with Jerry's company. Anne sells her most precious dress which Matthew bought for her from Jeanie. Anne and Jerry stay with Diana’s Great Aunt, Josephine, who has grown very fond of Anne. Before Anne goes back home Josephine hands her a book written by George Elliot, and tells Anne that the author is actually a women under a pen name. Back home Matthew tells Marilla that it would just be better if he passed away so that Marilla and Anne could benefit from his life insurance. The next morning Matthew attempts to take his life, in which Jeanie catches him in the act and stops him. Anne sells her services to clean houses to make more money and the family decides to take in boarders to save the farm. The farm is saved and the family celebrates Christmas together.

Anne with an E, Episode 7 (2017) [Anne Shirley and Jerry saying goodbye to the horse]. IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6316098/mediaviewer/rm883569920/

“Sometimes you just have to let people love you.” – Anne Shirley Cuthbert, Episode 7 Season 1

Analysis: In this episode, we see the Cuthbert's struggle as a family. We see Matthew struggle with his self worth and believing he is worth more dead. We also see more of the social norms of the time and the harsh reality that during these times women had little to no power. In the family, Matthew being the only man makes the heavy decision to take a large loan and the bank refuses to negotiate with Marilla. It also shows us how despite having no power women still found ways to do whatever their heart set out to do. We see this through the book Josephine gave Anne, with George Elliot being a popular novelist that even viewers now a days could recognize. We see it on how Marilla and Anne save the farm. We see Marilla struggle with accepting help from others. Marilla refuses to take money as she sees it as charity in which Anne tells her it’s not charity, it is love.

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