If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables you know that Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe are the ultimate end game couple. However, that doesn’t mean that Anne doesn’t have other suitors, most notably Royal Gardner in the Anne of the Island book, and Morgan Harris in Kevin Sullivan’s Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables The Sequel). Here, we take a look at why Anne Shirley and Morgan Harris’ relationship wouldn’t have worked.
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This is probably the reason that first comes to mind for a lot of us when we watch Anne of Avonlea. It was not unusual for young women to marry men much older than them back during this time and if Anne had accepted Morgan Harris’ proposal, its likely not too many people would have frowned at the union. However, we think the generational gap would have proven to be too insurmountable for them.
Morgan Harris has obviously worked hard to be the successful business man that he is. His family’s wealth probably helped, but he seems like the type of man who finds joy in his business dealings. Anne is very vivacious and imaginative, and she needs a partner who is happy to join her on her rambles and flights of creative fancy ; we could see this not meshing well with Morgan’s investment in the practical business world.
Anne Shirley is a very nurturing person, of that there can be no doubt. She has a lot of love to give and she knows all too well what it is to be without parents. If she had married Morgan Harris she would have found herself stepping into the role of step mother to Emeline, and likely having to run a wealthy household. While she might not have regretted it, she would have had to put her dreams aside to take care of the day to day dealings of life in a well to-do household. With Gilbert, Anne was able to both pursue her dreams and have a family.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be a deterrent; many relationships where the two people involved come from two different class stations have worked out wonderfully. But we think this could have been a hindrance to Anne and Morgan. Anne comes from a rural life, where she has had to work hard and prove herself to achieve all that she has. Despite any familial hardship that might have occurred when he was a boy, Morgan Harris comes from a privileged upbringing and his lifestyle as an adult reflects that. Because of this, they have very different viewpoints on life and they might have found that in the end they just couldn’t converge in mutual understanding.
When you know someone, as long as Anne and Gilbert have, there is a silent understanding of each other. Subtle personality traits are picked up on, quirks are understood and there is comfort in knowing that the other person, having known you for so long, truly sees who you are and accepts that. Despite Anne initially balking at the idea of ever marrying Gilbert, what she really didn’t want to lose was the friendship they had built. If she had married Morgan Harris, they could have built that mutual love and respect over time, but with Gilbert it was already there and so Morgan Harris never stood a chance.
What do you think of Anne Shirley and Morgan Harris’ brief “courtship”? There might have been a slight mutual attraction, but we think they are better off as good acquaintances or perhaps even friends.
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