Reading Diverse Writers #1

Aug 31, 2014 14:34

Inspired by Emerald Pollot's post on "The Importance of Reading Women Writers" I've decided to start a series of posts about the diverse writers who've influenced me, beginning, but not restricted to, women.

I'll start with two classics: Louisa May Alcott, esp. Little Women and L.M. Montgomery, especially Anne of Green Gables.


(Source: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/files/2012/05/LittleWomen7.jpg)

My mother was, and still is, a big LMA fan, so I was introduced to Little Women early, and I fell in love. Not with the preachiness, which I only discovered when I was reading it to my own daughter decades later, but with the household of women who were managing for themselves quite ably, and particularly with Jo, who was always yearning, who insisted on doing things her way, and who had such a wonderful place to scribble in the attic. Of course, I wanted Jo to end up with Laurie, the boy next door, but I could see where they were better as friends and in-laws. Amy really was more his type. My biggest disappointment was that Jo ended up with Professor Bbaer, who while he was kindly and supportive, was missing...something.


(source: http://www.answers.com/topic/anne-of-green-gables-1)

This is how deeply I fell into the world Lucy Maude Montgomery created: The spring and summer after third (possibly fourth) grade, I named features of my world for Anne's world. A vernal pool became the "Lake of Shining Waters" and one spot in a cow pasturing growing up to brush became "Violet Vale" because of the carpet of flowers we found there. I would gladly have named my best friend Diana if she'd have gone along with it. I read and re-read tjhe "Anne" books, especially Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island. In Anne, I found someone who told me it was okay to be wildly imaginative and that when you are dreamy you are apt to make mistakes, but they can be funny rather than tragic. Yes, Anne grew up and changed her mind about Gilbert Blythe, but as far as I was concerned, there was something more satisfying about her clobbering him over the head with her slate when he was obnoxious. Anne stuck up for herself.

Reading books like these as a young girl, I absorbed the message that girls could be strong and independent. Yes, my heroes married, but not all the women around them did. Particularly Marilla and Mrs. Rachel Lynde (a widow) showed me that women could live fine lives without husbands. Anne's world was not necessarily a man's world. While Marilla and Matthew may have wanted a boy to help with the farm work, it is Matthew who first comes to value Anne, and it was a world where everyone, male or female, pitched in to get things done for the community. This was far more in keeping with the world I knew.

Between them, Jo March and Anne Shirley told me not only that it was okay to be a girl, but that girls could be strong and self-sufficient, as well as imaginative and not always sweet tempered.

reading and writing, reading diverse writers

Previous post Next post
Up