Ruby Gillis

Ruby Gillis is a minor but vividly drawn character in Anne of Green Gables, a pretty, sentimental, and conventionally-minded girl who serves as a foil to Anne Shirley's imaginative and intellectual depth. She is defined by her preoccupation with beaus, fashion, and romantic notions, and her presence in the story highlights the social norms and peer pressures of Avonlea girlhood.

Identity and Appearance

Ruby Gillis is one of the Avonlea schoolgirls, notable for her showy good looks. She has large, bright-blue eyes, a brilliant complexion, and a plump, showy figure. Her hair is long and golden, and she is described as having a "lovely long golden hair" that makes her a natural candidate for the role of Elaine in Tennyson's poem. Mrs. Rachel Lynde, a reliable commentator on local appearances, observes that Ruby's looks are "real showy," though she also notes that when Ruby is beside Anne, Anne somehow makes Ruby look "kind of common and overdone." Ruby is conscious of her beauty and cultivates it; she wears her skirts as long as her mother will allow and does her hair up in town, though she must take it down when she goes home. She is cheerful, good-tempered, and laughs a great deal, enjoying the pleasant things of life frankly.

Sentimentality and Romantic Preoccupations

Ruby Gillis is defined by her intense focus on romance and beaus. She declares that she means to have a beau as soon as she is fifteen, and Anne observes that "Ruby Gillis thinks of nothing but beaus." She is delighted when anyone writes her name up in a take-notice, even though she pretends to be angry. Ruby is the source of much of the gossip about romantic attachments in Avonlea school: she reports that Mr. Phillips is "DEAD GONE" on Prissy Andrews, and she tells Anne that Gilbert Blythe looked right down at her when reciting a line of poetry. Ruby's own romantic life is a subject of schoolyard talk; she is often seen walking home with Gilbert Blythe, who carries her satchel, and she later cannot decide whether she prefers Gilbert or the more dashing Frank Stockley. Her sentimental nature extends to her taste in stories: in the Story Club, Ruby writes stories that are "rather sentimental," putting "too much lovemaking" into them, and she cries when Anne reads the pathetic parts of her compositions.

Role in the School Community

Ruby is an active participant in the social life of Avonlea school. She is one of the girls who welcomes Anne back after her feud with Gilbert, smuggling three blue plums to her during testament reading. She is a member of the Story Club, though her contributions are noted for their excessive sentimentality. Ruby is also a performer: she sings in the Sunday-school choir and takes part in dialogues and recitations. At the Christmas concert, she is part of the tableau "Faith, Hope and Charity." She is present at the dramatic Elaine episode on the pond, where she is too frightened to play the lily maid herself, and later goes into hysterics when she believes Anne has drowned. Ruby is also one of the students who studies for the Entrance examination, though her ambition is limited: she plans to teach for only two years after getting her license, and then intends to marry.

Relationship with Anne Shirley

Ruby Gillis is never a bosom friend to Anne, but she is a consistent and generally friendly presence in Anne's school life. She lends Anne a pink card with "May I see you home?" on it, and gives her an apple. Ruby is the first to tell Anne that she has a pretty nose, a compliment Anne treasures as the first she has ever received. However, Anne is aware of Ruby's limitations: she finds Ruby's obsession with beaus tiresome, and she notes that Ruby "has so little imagination." When Anne decides to give up the Avery scholarship and stay at Green Gables, Ruby is one of those who thinks she is foolish. Despite their differences, Ruby is part of the circle of girls who celebrate Anne's successes, and she is genuinely impressed by Anne's recitations at the White Sands Hotel concert.

Thematic Significance

Ruby Gillis represents the conventional, socially acceptable path of girlhood in Avonlea: pretty, cheerful, focused on marriage, and uninterested in intellectual ambition. She is a foil to Anne's imaginative depth, intellectual drive, and unconventional spirit. Ruby's preoccupation with beaus and fashion, her sentimental stories, and her limited career plans all underscore the narrow expectations for girls in her time and place. Yet Ruby is not a villain; she is a good-natured, if shallow, girl who is kind to Anne in small ways. Her presence in the novel helps define, by contrast, the breadth of Anne's character and the scope of her dreams.