Lucy Maud Montgomery (who liked to be known as Maud-without-an-E) created one of the most loved characters in literature in Anne of Green Gables. She could well claim to “write what you know” for she grew up without parents in her elderly relatives’ homes in beautiful Prince Edward Island – however she could not achieve Anne’s happy ending in life.
Montgomery was contributing to the rich children’s literature trope of the orphan heroine so we will also visit Heidi, Pollyanna, Rebecca and Judy Abbott, and their fascinating writers, to explore why these characters were created and how they have been understood.
Montgomery, Lucy Maud:
- Anne of Green Gables. (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform: 2014), ISBN-10: 1500426040
- Rilla of Ingleside. (Penguin Canada: 2011), ISBN-10: 0143177761
- Emily of New Moon. (Laurel Leaf: 1983), ISBN-10: 9780553233704
- Pat of Silver Bush. (Seal Books: 1988), ISBN-10: 0770422470
- The Story Girl. (Tundra Books: 2018), ISBN-10: 9781101919491
Spyri, Johanna:
- Heidi. (Dover Publications: 2000), ISBN-10: 0486412350
Porter, Eleanor H:
- Pollyanna. (Vintage Children's Classics: 2015), ISBN-10: 1784870242
Wiggin, Kate Douglas:
- Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. (Wordsworth: 1999), ISBN-10: 1853261343
Webster, Jean:
- Daddy-Long-Legs. (Concord Theatricals: 2010), ISBN-10: 0573607699
- Dear Enemy. (Amereon: 1997), ISBN-10: 0848803248
- 19th century Australian writers for children
- L.M. Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, Pat of Silver Bush, Story Girl
- Johanna Spyri: Heidi
- Kate Douglas Wiggin: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
- Eleanor H Porter: Pollyanna
- Jean Webster: Daddy-Long-Legs
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Describe the life story of each of these writers
- Evaluate the significance and quality of their work
- Discuss the figure of the Orphan in children’s literature, and how these authors interpreted it
