学进去

Anne of Green Gables has been a favorite book of teenagers all over the world since it came out in 1908. It tries to teach us how to grow up to be a happy and useful person.

Anne is an 11-year-old girl who has no parents and arrives in the town of Avonlea, Canada. She helps Mathew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister, on their farm.

At first, Mathew and Marilla hope to adopt (收养) a boy, not a thin girl. Will she be of any use on the farm?It seems unlikely: Anne is very creative, talkative and easily distracted (分心的). That’s not what is needed on a farm.

However, she tries her best to prove (证明) herself. On the one hand, she works really hard. On the other hand, she doesn’t lose her great sense of fun and this is why readers love the story. She doesn’t become “a good girl”, if “good girl” means knowing only how to work but live unhappily. We see Anne’s love for life everywhere. She knows how to enjoy herself, whether it’s by eating ice cream or trying on a new dress.

Many stories for children are written to tell them how to be good. Usually, it means doing one’s work but not having any fun. That’s not the kind of story Anne of Green Gable wants to tell. The book gives readers a helping hand rather than try to scare them into being “good” girls.