Comparing Little Women with Anne of Green Gables

Two of my favorite novels have long been Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. Having recently watched the movie version of each, I've become quite fascinated with the similarities and differences between these beloved classics.

I've watched multiple versions of Little Women. Gillian Armstrong's 1994 Little Women starring Winona Ryder is the first I can remember seeing. Since then, I've watched Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation, the 2017 mini series starring Maya Hawk (probably my favorite), and Clare Niederpruem's 2018 modern retelling. And of course, I've read the book and its two sequels.

My initial introduction to Anne of Green Gables was through the book. As a child I watched many episodes of the animated series (2001-2002). Since then, I've watched the 2016 version (starring Ella Ballentine). I most recently watched the 1985 Anne of Green Gables and both its 1987 and 2000 sequels - the 1985 and 1987 installments are my favorite portrayals of Anne's story.

Initially, the protagonists of Little Women and Anne of Green Gables strike one as very different. Jo March comes from a loving family with three sisters, while Anne Shirley has no family until Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert adopt her, ending a long chain of disappointed hopes as the orphan was passed from household to household. As a child, Jo prefers to be included with the boys and strikes up a close friendship with the neighbor boy, Laurie. Anne dreams of wearing a puffed-sleeve dress and having beautiful raven black hair like her best friend, Diana. She wants nothing to do with her classmate, Gilbert, who she sees as a rival, not a friend. Jo can be very impatient and does not easily handle stuffy social situations like elegant parties or time spent with her sour Aunt March. In contrast, Anne (despite her talent for saying the wrong thing and making mistakes) has a cheery disposition capable of winning over even the most disagreeable of people.

Despite their differences, Jo and Anne experience some similar adventures – and mishaps. Both have a lively imagination and a talent for telling stories. Humorously, both girls' stories feature a drastic haircut – Jo sells her hair to raise money for a train ticket, and Anne's is the casualty of an accident with hair dye. Both Jo and Anne can have a short temper. Jo is very angry with her sister Amy and holds a grudge after Amy spitefully destroys Jo's beloved book in progress. Anne cracks a slate over Gilbert's head when he teases her about her red hair.

As the two grow up, both Jo and Anne are resistant to change. Jo is upset that her older sister Meg wants to marry a boring tutor, John Brooks. Anne is upset that Diana is engaged to marry the reserved and not-so-handsome Fred. I find it fascinating that both Jo and Anne receive a proposal – and reject it in a similar fashion. Jo believes that she and Laurie have very similar dispositions and will fight frequently. Their "castles in the air" have included plans of travel and adventure together, but Jo can't imagine Laurie as anyone other than the brother he had become to her. As they grew up, Anne and Gilbert had come to regard one another as good friends, rather than rivals, but when Gilbert asks Anne to marry him, she rejects his proposal for similar reasons. In the movie adaptation, a "castles in the air" reference is made, which I find fascinating in comparing the two stories. Anne and Gilbert have shared similar dreams of teaching, but just as Jo assures Laurie, Anne insists that she cannot view Gilbert as anything other than a friend and that he will easily find someone else to offer him the love and affection he wants.

Jo and Anne take similar career paths as they move away from their hometowns to the big city. Jo takes a job as a governess while pursuing her writing goals and Anne works as a teacher, writing in her spare time. During this time, Jo meets Professor Bhaer, a German with a vast knowledge of literature and philosophy. Anne meets Morgan Harris, a rich widower who encourages her to succeed as a tutor to his daughter. Jo falls in love with the professor, setting aside her dreams of world travel to marry and start a school with her husband. However, Anne's relationship with Harris goes in a completely different direction – she discovers that her ideal man, who she once thought would be someone like Morgan, is not as ideal as she always thought. It is this realization that helps Anne return to Green Gables, where she falls in love with Gilbert.

Throughout the narratives, it is fascinating that both Jo and Anne follow a similar path in pursuit of their dreams as a writer. Each has many lessons to learn before writing a successful book. Jo initially writes under an alias and tailors her writing style to fit the public's thirst for sensationalist literature so it will sell. The criticism she receives from Professor Bhaer angers Jo, but his advice to write about what is truly meaningful to her turns out to be the key to her success. Anne is crushed when her story is published by changing the content to use it as an advertisement. She receives multiple rejection letters when she tries to submit her work for publication, and Gilbert advises her to cut back on the flowery language – a comment which she resents. However, when her first book is finally published, she is pleased to admit to Gilbert that she took his advice – and he is among the people to whom she dedicated the book.

It is hard to say which of the two classics is the more iconic, but a comparison of the two reveals some of the elements that make us love a story. The way the characters handle realistic mishaps and the challenges they face as relationships grow and change make both Little Women and Anne of Green Gables relatable and beloved stories.