The Old House and Civic Limits

Anne of Avonlea

Anne's desire to improve Avonlea meets residents' private autonomy, teaching the Society where persuasion ends and patience must begin.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The House as a Memory The House as a Memory from "Anne of Avonlea". The House as a Memory Anne's Interpretation Anne imagines the abandoned Boulter house remembering its former garden, children, and songs.

The House as a Memory from "Anne of Avonlea". The House as a Memory Anne's Interpretation Anne imagines the abandoned Boulter house remembering its former garden, children, and songs.

The House as a Memory Anne's Interpretation Anne imagines the abandoned Boulter house remembering its former garden, children, and songs. To her it is not merely an eyesore but a place marked by vanished life. Different Responses Diana sees the house more plainly and notes that its former children are alive and grown. Their difference captures Anne's tendency to read history into landscape.

A Society's First Ambition A Society's First Ambition from "Anne of Avonlea". A Society's First Ambition A Desired Improvement Anne and Gilbert Blythe hope to persuade Levi Boulter to remove the ruin.

A Society's First Ambition from "Anne of Avonlea". A Society's First Ambition A Desired Improvement Anne and Gilbert Blythe hope to persuade Levi Boulter to remove the ruin.

A Society's First Ambition A Desired Improvement Anne and Gilbert Blythe hope to persuade Levi Boulter to remove the ruin. The idea becomes a symbol of how much a young organization might accomplish. Practical Doubt Diana's father doubts that Boulter will spend effort for the public good. The Society must weigh an attractive ideal against the limits of influence.

The Committee's Approach The Committee's Approach from "Anne of Avonlea". The Committee's Approach An Organized Appeal The Society appoints a carefully selected committee to approach Levi Boulter about the old house.

The Committee's Approach from "Anne of Avonlea". The Committee's Approach An Organized Appeal The Society appoints a carefully selected committee to approach Levi Boulter about the old house.

The Committee's Approach An Organized Appeal The Society appoints a carefully selected committee to approach Levi Boulter about the old house. The visit represents the group's belief that organized persuasion can achieve what individuals cannot. A Blunt Refusal Boulter says he will not have his property meddled with. The refusal exposes a boundary between public taste and private ownership.

The House Falls in the Storm The House Falls in the Storm from "Anne of Avonlea". The House Falls in the Storm An Unintended End Lightning strikes the Boulter house and it burns to the ground.

The House Falls in the Storm from "Anne of Avonlea". The House Falls in the Storm An Unintended End Lightning strikes the Boulter house and it burns to the ground.

The House Falls in the Storm An Unintended End Lightning strikes the Boulter house and it burns to the ground. Anne hears the news with mixed feelings because the Society's long-standing wish has been fulfilled through disaster. A Moral Complication Anne worries that feeling glad is wrong amid widespread destruction. The event makes clear that a desired outcome can arrive in a way that carries real costs.

The Society's Limit The Society's Limit from "Anne of Avonlea". The Society's Limit Progress Elsewhere The Society continues planting trees and improving roadsides, despite the loss of its young plantings in the storm.

The Society's Limit from "Anne of Avonlea". The Society's Limit Progress Elsewhere The Society continues planting trees and improving roadsides, despite the loss of its young plantings in the storm.

The Society's Limit Progress Elsewhere The Society continues planting trees and improving roadsides, despite the loss of its young plantings in the storm. Members do not treat one accidental success as proof that every plan is justified. Patience Replaces Pressure Anne and Julia Bell decide to leave Boulter alone rather than repeatedly aggravate him. The group's maturity appears in knowing when not to push.

late summer, during Anne and Diana's drive

August, while the Improvement Society is planning

the following spring, after roadside projects begin

May 23, during the hailstorm

the summer after the house is destroyed