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Is Anne Shirley (CBC) the article you are looking for? Anne of Green Gables Wiki has separate articles for the various portrayals of Anne Shirley in the books, films, television series and other media. For a list of all versions, see our disambiguation portal.

Anne Cordelia Shirley-Cuthbert is the orphaned daughter of Walter and Bertha Shirley, and the adoptive daughter of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert.

Biography[]

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Orphanage[]

Anne was sent to an orphanage in Nova Scotia after both her parents died at an early age. Anne has no memory of her biological parents, Walter and Bertha. Before coming to Avonlea, Anne was constantly in and out of the orphanage. She was typically made to work as a nanny and cleaner for those who adopted her. Despite her hard work, Anne was never able to gain the love of these families; all of them sent her back to the orphanage. The cruelty Anne endured at the hands of her foster families and those in the orphanage left her traumatized. Throughout the series, Anne has flashbacks of her troubled childhood. She rarely speaks about her life before Avonlea.

Time in Avonlea[]

The Cuthbert siblings wanted an orphan boy to help Matthew with the farm work since they were getting older. Much to his surprise, Matthew found no boy when he went to the train station; only Anne was there. However, little by little, after almost making a living from reading improv poems on a train station, Anne wins over the hearts of Marilla and Matthew, so they decide to adopt her.

Physical appearance[]

Anne's most defining physical attribute is her bright red hair, which she often styles in two braids. Anne hates the uncommon hair colour because it often gets her teased. On several occasions, Anne has attributed her fiery temper to being a redhead.

Her fair complexion and face full of freckles also characterize Anne. She is lanky as a child and considers herself unattractively skinny. Marilla misconstrues Anne's constant fixation with her hair as vanity. In reality, Anne is highly self-conscious about her appearance.

Personality[]

Anne's heart is a heart of gold. Throughout the series, Anne is constantly trying to gain the approval of her adoptive parents, her classmates and the townspeople of Avonlea. Despite her desire to please, Anne has a great deal of personal integrity, and this unadulterated honesty can often get her into big trouble.

Anne is passionate about life and has the gift of seeing beauty in the most mundane things. Her imagination is boundless and openly displayed by her creative tales and writing. Anne is also an avid reader. Her vocabulary is well above that of her peers, and this, as well as her skill in other academics, is a point of pride for her.

Yet, for all of her skills and accomplishments, Anne harbours deep insecurities due to her early upbringing. The instability of her life in the orphanage and being passed around from home to home has made her terrified of rejection. Regardless of her less-than-ideal beginnings, Anne is an optimist.

As a child, Anne passes judgment quickly and is reluctant to change her mind once she has made a decision. Anne loves and hates with equal intensity. She believes her friendship with Diana Barry and rivalry with Gilbert Blythe will last a lifetime.

Relationships[]

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Matthew Cuthbert[]

Anne's adoptive father. Matthew took a liking to Anne almost immediately after listening to her constant chatter on the way home from the train station. They have a very wholesome relationship, only temporarily soured when Anne tries to become "an agent of romance" for Matthew by answering the letters a woman from his past sent him. Not prone to anger, Matthew is only disappointed in Anne and forgives her soon after. Matthew is proud of Anne and her achievements.

Marilla Cuthbert[]

Anne's adoptive mother. When Matthew first brought Anne home from the train station, Marilla wanted to return her to the orphanage. Eventually, Marilla grows to love Anne. Due to Marilla's traditionalist nature, in contrast to Anne's wild imagination, the two don't always see eye to eye. However, as time passes, the two start loving each other like mother and daughter.

Diana Barry[]

A kindred spirit of Anne as well as her bosom friend. Anne has an abundance of imagination, and Diana is more down to earth. Still, they value each other's company and their deep friendship.

Gilbert Blythe[]

Anne was told to stay away from Gilbert when arriving in Avonlea because Ruby had "dibs on Gilbert". Clueless about the situation, Gilbert wonders why Anne ignores him and makes the mistake of pulling her hair and calling her Carrots. After that, he is Anne's sworn enemy, and they begin an academic rivalry. At the end of season one, they call a truce and become friends. Throughout the second season, their friendship grows, and they have mutual respect. Their relationship has a few bumps along the way, as can be seen when Anne grows jealous of Gilbert getting ahead of her academically. At the end of season two, Cole drops a comment to Anne about Gilbert having a crush on her, which Diana also hinted at earlier, but Anne denies. By season 3, Anne and Gilbert start to realize that they have feelings for each other, but due to a misunderstanding, Gilbert thinks Anne doesn't have romantic feelings for him. Gilbert finally learns of Anne's true feelings and visits her at Queens. They admit their true feelings for each other and kiss.

Ruby Gillis[]

At first, Ruby Gillis is one of the girls who are cruel to Anne when she first arrives at Avonlea. Later, however, when the Gillis' house burns down, Anne is seen heroically stopping the fire by closing all the doors and windows to stop the fire from spreading and getting bigger. Ruby has to stay at Anne's house until her house is repaired. During this time, Ruby befriends Anne. She later joins the Story Club along with Anne Shirley-Cuthbert and Diana Barry.

Josephine Barry[]

Anne respects Mrs Barry and sees her as a role model. She and Anne build a good friendship, and Josephine gives her advice on life and helps Anne accept who she is.

Cole Mackenzie[]

She and Cole quickly become friends upon seeing Cole bullied like her, and both Anne and Diana accept Cole at the book club. Anne tries to help Cole when he leaves school but accidentally worsens things. Eventually, they became friends, and Cole decided to move in with Ms. Josephine.

Ka'kwet[]

Anne meets Ka'kwet, a young native girl from a nearby Mik'maq village, at the beginning of season 3, and the two rapidly develop a friendship. Ka'kwet teaches Anne about her culture and gives her the name "Melkita'ulamun", meaning a strong and brave heart. When Ka'kwet is imprisoned at a cruel boarding school against her parent's will, Anne immediately steps up to help, yet Ka'kwet's fate in this scandalous affair is not shown in the series.

Charlie Sloane[]

Charlie on season three has feelings for Anne, but she doesn’t feel the same.

Jerry Baynard[]

Anne resented Jerry for "displacing her position in her very first family," since she had wanted to show her worth by helping out outdoors.

As of season 2, they have a sibling-like relationship. Anne and Jerry have become closer and she decides to teach him how to read and write.

Etymology[]

Anne is a female given name of Hebrew origin and means God has favoured me. The spelling, Anne, is a French form of the name Anna. Her last name, Shirley, means bright meadow.

Anne's official name is pronounced Ann, but if it is spelled without the E she gets very angry as she disliked the name Ann but preferred the name Anne.

Quotes[]

"How can there be anything wrong with a life if it's spent with a person you love?"

"It's not what the world holds for you, it's what you bring to it."

"Sometimes life hides gifts in the darkest of places"

"If you have big ideas you have to use big words to describe them haven't you?"

"It's funny how people are so quick to point out our differences when there are so many ways we're all alike."

"Tell me, and I'll forget. Teach me, and I'll remember. Involve me, and I'll learn."

Behind the scenes[]

Portrayal

Trivia

  • The casting call describes Anne as, 11-14 year old girl, max. height 5'4", the smaller and wispier the better. Anne is impoverished and underfed. Anne is not old-fashioned, precious or glib. She’s a modern girl with a massive heart, a sense of justice, a searing intellect and, for better and for worse, an inability to self-edit. She is spunky, forthright, full of imagination, quirky and interesting. She is also a deeply wounded kid — she bears the emotional scars of the abusive life she’s led so far. Anne is full of contradictions, insecurities and deep emotions in a time when emotions were not welcomed or acceptable. ANNE will explore what it means to be a young person navigating adolescence and facing a changing era.[1]
  • The official description on the CBC website states: After an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and working in the homes of strangers, 13-year-old Anne Shirley is a remarkably resilient girl with a unique spirit, fierce intellect and brilliant imagination.[2]

Gallery[]

Anne of Green Gables Wiki has 1,256 images of Anne Shirley (view gallery).

Appearances[]

Season 1 (Anne with an E)

Season 2 (Anne with an E)

Season 3 (Anne with an E)

References[]

See also[]

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