Ahead by a Century

Abstract

The plot of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic early twentieth-century children’s book series Anne of Green Gables underwent several significant changes in its Netflix adaptation titled Anne with an E, directed by Moira Walley-Beckett. Montgomery’s books are about orphan Anne’s journey towards hope, home, and community, but lack representation of several minorities that are marginalised and erased in history. In contrast to the books, Anne with an E includes subplots focusing on gay culture, Black culture, and the experiences of Indigenous children sent to residential schools in this time period. I argue for the importance of representing minorities in (historical) adaptations, to provide a mirror for minority identities as well as provoke change and emancipation in contemporary society. After an investigation of the representation of these minorities, I conclude that the series provides a more accurate and diverse view of pre-WWI Canada than Montgomery’s original books.