Anne and Gilbert’s Changing Bond

Anne of the Island

This flow traces Anne and Gilbert’s movement from youthful companionship through rejection and estrangement to mutual love.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Hand on the Bridge A Hand on the Bridge from "Anne of the Island". A Hand on the Bridge An old friendship shifts Anne and Gilbert Blythe stand together by the Lake of Shining Waters as summer ends.

A Hand on the Bridge from "Anne of the Island". A Hand on the Bridge An old friendship shifts Anne and Gilbert Blythe stand together by the Lake of Shining Waters as summer ends.

A Hand on the Bridge An old friendship shifts Anne and Gilbert Blythe stand together by the Lake of Shining Waters as summer ends. Gilbert lays his hand over Anne’s, but she pulls away and hurries home. Anne fears that romance will spoil the simple comradeship they have always shared. Her response reveals unease rather than a settled judgment about what she feels. Caution in place of confession Gilbert does not force the moment, learning to return to their familiar schoolmate manner. Both remain within a friendship that carries more feeling than Anne is ready to acknowledge.

The First Proposal The First Proposal from "Anne of the Island". The First Proposal An honest question Gilbert tells Anne that he loves her and asks whether she will become his wife.

The First Proposal from "Anne of the Island". The First Proposal An honest question Gilbert tells Anne that he loves her and asks whether she will become his wife.

The First Proposal An honest question Gilbert tells Anne that he loves her and asks whether she will become his wife. Anne says she cares for him as a friend but cannot love him in that way. Gilbert accepts that her answer is real, though it wounds him deeply. He refuses to pretend that friendship can satisfy the hope he has expressed. The break in companionship Anne grieves the loss of their old closeness, while Gilbert leaves without promising that it can continue unchanged. Her refusal is honest, but her understanding of herself is incomplete.

The Years Apart The Years Apart from "Anne of the Island". The Years Apart Absence becomes tangible Gilbert works in the newspaper office rather than spending the summer in Avonlea.

The Years Apart from "Anne of the Island". The Years Apart Absence becomes tangible Gilbert works in the newspaper office rather than spending the summer in Avonlea.

The Years Apart Absence becomes tangible Gilbert works in the newspaper office rather than spending the summer in Avonlea. Anne feels lonely on familiar roads but cannot admit that his absence is the source. He writes to Diana Barry, but not to Anne. The lack of correspondence sharpens the distance between them and leaves Anne guessing about his feelings. Two unfinished lives Anne reads Royal Gardner’s polished letters while missing the unexpected emotional force of Gilbert’s handwriting. Her heart reacts more strongly to what she does not receive than to what she has chosen to value.

A Rival’s Shadow A Rival’s Shadow from "Anne of the Island". A Rival’s Shadow Jealousy revealed Anne hears that Gilbert is often seen with Christine Stuart and finds herself unsettled.

A Rival’s Shadow from "Anne of the Island". A Rival’s Shadow Jealousy revealed Anne hears that Gilbert is often seen with Christine Stuart and finds herself unsettled.

A Rival’s Shadow Jealousy revealed Anne hears that Gilbert is often seen with Christine Stuart and finds herself unsettled. She insists that neither of them matters to her, even as the news changes her mood. At Convocation, Anne chooses Gilbert’s lilies of the valley over Royal Gardner’s violets. The choice is instinctive, suggesting a loyalty deeper than the romantic story she has told herself. A deliberate distance When she hears a rumor of Gilbert’s engagement, Anne breaks the pink enamel heart pendant and refuses him a dance. Her behavior conceals the distress she cannot yet interpret.

Love Acknowledged Love Acknowledged from "Anne of the Island". Love Acknowledged The revelation Anne hears that Gilbert is critically ill and understands that she has always loved him.

Love Acknowledged from "Anne of the Island". Love Acknowledged The revelation Anne hears that Gilbert is critically ill and understands that she has always loved him.

Love Acknowledged The revelation Anne hears that Gilbert is critically ill and understands that she has always loved him. The knowledge arrives with the fear that she may never be able to tell him. When news comes that he has turned the corner, relief replaces the night’s despair. Anne’s understanding of love is now direct, even though she does not know what Gilbert will want. A renewed question Gilbert later asks Anne again, this time in Hester Gray’s garden. Anne meets his gaze with love and accepts the future they once could not share.

The autumn before Anne leaves for Redmond

A spring evening during Anne’s second Redmond year

The summer after Gilbert’s proposal

Anne’s senior year at Redmond

The stormy night Gilbert is reported near death