Thread by @lainasparetime

Y'all wanna do chapter one? #LainaReadsAnne

#LainaReadsAnne A quick note - I'm not going to be pointing out every instance of ableist language in this. It was written in 1905. It's there. I think at a certain point, unless you are specifically talking about that aspect, it becomes a bit redundant. Just a heads-up.

#LainaReadsAnne Montgomery's voice is truly great. She has this real subtle sense of sarcasm that slips into her narration that I find hilarious. I legit laughed more than once reading the first chapter. And that leads well into our introduction of Mrs. Rachel Lynde.

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel Lynde is described as a "notable housewife" who always has her housework done, and done well, ran the Sewing Circle, helped run the Sunday school, and was heavily involved in charity work.

Mrs. Rachel Lynde is also described as quite a busybody.

#LainaReadsAnne She's said to sit at her kitchen window knitting, and basically spying on the neighbours.

This character is interesting because at first glance she seems almost like the idealized housewife, which was something Montgomery thought was an important role.

#LainaReadsAnne However, she's clearly seen as, you know, kind of nosy.

So she's looking out her window when she sees Matthew Cuthbert head by with his horse and buggy in his best suit of clothes, a clear sign he's leaving Avonlea and there might be Hot Gossip for Mrs. Rachel.

#LainaReadsAnne She almost immediately decides to go visit at his home, Green Gables, which is next door but also almost as far back into the woods as you can get without actually being IN the woods, with a long path to get there. It's isolated.

#LainaReadsAnne Matthew Cuthbert is a man of few words, who keeps to himself and doesn't like talking to people. His father, who built Green Gables, was much like him.

The first impression we get of Green Gables is that it's beautiful, but it's kept almost too tidy.

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel is a little snooty about how often Marilla Cuthbert "sweeps her lawn" and says the Green Gables kitchen could be cheerful, but it was too clean to feel that way.

The first impression we get of Marilla Cuthbert is that she's strict and impeccably tidy

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel/the narrative describes her as tall, thin, having lived a life of narrow experience and rigid conscience but with a possible hint of a sense of humour around the corner of her mouth.

Which honestly is such a great description.

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel asks why Matthew has gotten all fancied up and left, and Marilla tells her they've decided to adopt an orphaned boy.

By the way, Matthew and Marilla are siblings. Not sure if you'd know that if you weren't familiar with AOGG.

#LainaReadsAnne That's something I find really interesting now, too. Montgomery believed marriage was very important for a woman, clearly, but this work, written when she was, what, 30, has one of the most important characters be Marilla, who never married.

#LainaReadsAnne So Marilla and Matthew are looking to adopt a boy to help out around Green Gables since he's getting older and can't do all the work as easily anymore, and apparently it's quite difficult to get hired help.

Marilla is particularly disdainful of French boys.

#LainaReadsAnne She also mentions that Matthew suggested getting a "Home boy" and I had to look this up because I wasn't very familiar with it.

Apparently around this time, Britain was having a really bad time, and children especially were suffering.

#LainaReadsAnne They sent a huge number of children to Canada and other Commonwealth countries to try and give them better lives. Apparently it's estimated that 10% of Canadians are descendants of these children.

You can read more about that here: canadashistory.ca/explore/settle…

#LainaReadsAnne (Slur tw) Marilla used the phrase "no London street arabs" and I honestly didn't know what that meant, and had to look it up. The definition was something like, "raggedly dressed homeless child wandering the streets".

Kinda racist obvs.

#LainaReadsAnne Anyways, there was obviously a lot of abuse potential with this whole "adopt an orphan to work for us" thing, but Marilla and Matthew do seem to have good intentions. Marilla states they plan to give him a good home and schooling.

#LainaReadsAnne I think probably one of the more subtle indicators of how they felt about the child in their future was that Marilla had the table set at least 2 hours before Matthew was due home. Maybe that was just how you set dinner, and it is stated it's an "everyday" layout

#LainaReadsAnne But I feel like it makes it seem like Marilla really wanted to make the child feel like he was at home as soon as he got there, and that she really wanted him to be comfortable with them.

I mean, imagine going to a new home and everything being super fancy???

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel starts fearmongering about orphans and dropping horror stories, and Marilla is all, "There's risks in people's having children of their own if it comes to that - they don't always turn out well."

One, that is a darn fine shutdown.

#LainaReadsAnne Two, this is something Montgomery would find true for herself. She was rather disappointed in her sons' life choices and had rocky relationships with them both.

Interesting prediction, that.

#LainaReadsAnne Mrs. Rachel expresses great doubt at the idea that Matthew and Marilla will be capable of raising a child well, and with that, we end chapter one.