• Anne Beginnings •

Evelyn Nesbit, a model for Anne Shirley

While caring for her grandmother, she wrote the first book of the Anne series. It was based on her childhood experiences. The plot of the story was based on a notebook entry from 1904: 'Elderly couple apply to orphan asylum for a boy. By mistake a girl is sent them.' Anne of Green Gables captured the struggles and dreams of childhood which were based on Montgomery's own childhood experiences. The story combined with the herione-the fiery red-haired and talkative orphan-gained an immediate popularity. Anne's development focuses on the conflict between imagination and propriety, and concludes with the ascendancy of decorum and practicality, a theme which its seven sequels continue to develop. The sequels followed Anne's life from childhood to adulthood and rising a family. It is said Montgomery used a picture of Evelyn Nesbit as her inspiration for Anne when writing.

Last updated: February 5, 2006
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