Growing Up as a Girl in Early Twentieth-Century Canada (Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables)

Abstract

Drawing legions of readers from all over the world, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s writing has retained its popularity from the turn of the 20th century up until the present day and age. Her “simple little tales” of girls growing up in rural Canada provided a unique glimpse into social realities of the time in addition to Maud’s personal life and her own struggles. By examining her Anne of Green Gables series (1908-1942), this paper aims to highlight some culturespecific aspects of the female experience in Canada, as well as define other aspects which may turn out to be more transcendent and universal, shared by (and relatable for) women in different countries.