Rebecca or Anne? Can you tell?

[lady_schrapnell]

I've now convinced myself I could have told, if someone else set the challenge, but of course that might be self-delusion of the most blatant sort.

Both passages come after the girl in question has gone from the local school off to the larger one, to get a teacher's certificate (in fewer years than the norm). In both, there's a flirtatious girl's behaviour being contrasted - that's Ruby Gillis, in Anne's case. I've taken out any identifiers, obviously:

'X was in the normally unconscious state that belonged to her years; boys were good comrades, but no more; she liked reciting in the same class with them, everything seemed to move better; but from vulgar and precocious flirtations she was protected by her ideals.'

'There was no silly sentiment in Y's ideas ... Boys were to her, when she thought about them at all, merely possible good comrades. ... she had a vague consciousness
that masculine friendship might also be a good thing to round out one's conceptions of companionship and furnish broader standpoints of judgment and comparison.'

*************

Second pair of extracts come after the child has received a totally unexpected Christmas present (of a pretty and 'frivolous' sort): (I have to cut more here, as one scene would be instantly recognizable, even without names)

'... a parcel which she took like one in a dream...

"Well, well!" ... Now eat your breakfast, M, ... What's the matter, child?"

M's emotions seemed always to be stored, as it were, in adjoining compartments, and to be continually getting mixed. At this moment, though her joy was too deep for words, her bread-and-butter almost choked her, and at intervals a tear stole furtively down her cheek.'

Second extract:

'N took the -- and looked at it in reverent silence.

"Why - why - N, don't you like it?"

For N's eyes had suddenly filled with tears.

"Like it! ... Oh, it seems to me this must be a happy dream."

"Well, well, let us have breakfast.", [older character] interrupted.

" I don't see how I'm going to eat breakfast," said N rapturously. "Breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment."'

**************

Third pair is from the POV of one of the guardians, reflecting on the child's nature. (A changed and softened guardian, by now!)

'"You needn't get in such a fever over it. Do learn to take things calmly, child."

For C to take things calmly would have been to change her nature. All "spirit and fire and dew" as she was, the pleasures and pains of life came to her with trebled intensity. [Older char.] felt this and was vaguely troubled over it, realizing that the ups and downs of existence would probably bear hardly on this impulsive soul and not sufficiently understanding that the equally great capacity for delight might more than compensate. Therefore [older char] conceived it to be her duty to drill C into a tranquil uniformity of disposition as impossible and alien to her as to a dancing sunbeam in one of the brook shallows.'

Second one:

D's hair was loosened and falling over her forehead in ruffled waves; her eyes were brilliant, her cheeks crimson; there was a hint of everything in the girl's face - of sensitiveness and delicacy as well as of ardour; there was the sweetness of the mayflower and the strength of the young oak, but one could easily divine that she was one of
The souls by nature pitched too high,
By suffering plunged too low.

"That's just the way you look, for all the world as if you did have a lamp burning inside of you,' sighed [older character]. D! D! I wish you could take things easier, child; I am fearful for you sometimes."'

************

We won't mention the fact that neither of these books is going to serve for the essay in any way other than to contrast with An Old-Fashioned Girl. Not with each other. (In other words, dabbling in other 'girls' stories' of the time doesn't really count as purposeful work. But it sure is fun.)

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Fascinating!

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Okay - consider yourself particularly challenged (no, not in that way!) - not having read either, as I know. Remember how hard I tried to push Anne on you, while virtually forgetting Rebecca. I've just reread the extracts as much as possible, as if I hadn't seen them before, and I think you can see the slightly greater degree of subtlety, humour and lightness of touch in the Anne one in each case. (This is totally IMHO, of course!) Not why I chose these extracts! Without looking at the other comments, could you guess?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Remember how hard I tried to push Anne on you, while virtually forgetting Rebecca.

Yes, that was quite a party! ;-)

Meanwhile I've reread the extracts with your admonitions ringing in my ears, and on that basis I'd say Rebecca first, then Anne first, then - don't really know, but would just about say Anne first.

*Goes to look...*

Ah, I see I got no 2 wrong. I was misled by the juxtaposition of bread-and-butter pudding with rapturous tears, which seemed more humorous than anything in the second extract. Oh well!

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Remember how hard I tried to push Anne on you, while virtually forgetting Rebecca.

Yes, that was quite a party! ;-)

Oh noooo. I've now got a wicked mental image of myself as a madam in a whore house (the clothes might be fun, though I haven't exactly the chestal area advantages that seem necessary), with Anne the bewitching young girl... No. Tea party. Think tea party!

Anyway, I'm sure it was your mental addition of pudding to that second quote which made it seem more humorous. It's Anne's voice in combination with the rapturousness that provides the humour, which is a neater trick than being told about that 'furtive tear'. Maybe.

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

*avoids looking at other comment*

My thoughts:

First pair: Anne second
Second pair: Anne second
Third pair: Anne first

[breathingbooks.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

All correct! I had B. look at them, and she got the last two right but the first wrong. I'm going to put the general point/question in after obsessedwelves's (equally correct) answer to save repetition. In case it doesn't post right and you don't get notified.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Okay, well it's not sorted the replies right, but not in the way I expected...

Much as I'm enjoying Rebecca this time (and in the past), it really seems that it would look a 'better' book if one hadn't dragged out the comparisons with Anne. (The essay R. writes for her nice teacher in which she uses 'one' every other word because she's been told it'll sound better is one of my favourite bits of the book, and just lovely!)

As I said above, I really think in this (though not all her books, by any means) Montgomery just gets her characters in a little more depth yet with a lighter touch, time and time again. She also plays with the theme of the romantic child heroine a little more, and with more humour, perhaps.

Is it more that you remembered the actual passages from Anne, or was it style that enabled you to get them?

[breathingbooks.livejournal.com]

I recognized the third insantly and the second quickly (N rapturously. "Breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment."' is pure Anne), but the first one took slightly longer. In the end, as with all, three, it's the style that cemented my waverings. LMM books always seem to be having love affairs with long, comma-laden sentences and her word choice is generally varied and strewn with numerous polysyllable words.

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Ditto :) And agreeing with Dorian that the "spirit and fire and dew" quote would have been enough in itself!

[hafren.livejournal.com]

I never read Rebecca, but IIRC, 'There was no silly sentiment in Y's ideas ... Boys were to her, when she thought about them at all, merely possible good comrades. ... she had a vague consciousness
that masculine friendship might also be a good thing to round out one's conceptions of companionship and furnish broader standpoints of judgment and comparison.', 'N took the -- and looked at it in reverent silence.

"Why - why - N, don't you like it?"

For N's eyes had suddenly filled with tears.

"Like it! ... Oh, it seems to me this must be a happy dream."

"Well, well, let us have breakfast.", [older character] interrupted.

" I don't see how I'm going to eat breakfast," said N rapturously. "Breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment."' and '"You needn't get in such a fever over it. Do learn to take things calmly, child." and For C to take things calmly would have been to change her nature. All "spirit and fire and dew" as she was, the pleasures and pains of life came to her with trebled intensity. [Older char.] felt this and was vaguely troubled over it, realizing that the ups and downs of existence would probably bear hardly on this impulsive soul and not sufficiently understanding that the equally great capacity for delight might more than compensate. Therefore [older char] conceived it to be her duty to drill C into a tranquil uniformity of disposition as impossible and alien to her as to a dancing sunbeam in one of the brook shallows.' are all from Anne.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

All right! I wonder if it was almost easier not having read Rebecca, as you could go for the remembered Anne style. The first I'd have thought would be the hardest to guess, though that's possibly just because my daughter got only that one wrong. The Rebecca ones are just a little bit clunkier though, aren't they? Or they seem that way to me now, at any rate.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I arrived late at this party (via steepholm, of course); what a fun exercise. I seem to be going with the majority here: haven't read Rebecca, got them all right but found the first one the trickiest, thought Breakfast seems so commonplace... was pure Anne.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Thanks for joining in. It's funny that everyone feels exactly the same about 'breakfast seems so commonplace'. I said that to my daughter as well, after she'd got that one right. (And that was before anyone had replied here with their guesses.) Maybe that in itself says it all about Anne - so many different readers responding to a passage with 'that's pure Anne', even when it's not one of her signature sayings.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Not a signature saying, by all means, but a characteristic use of vocabulary: just slightly grander than the occasion warrants, perfectly correct and yet faintly off-key? Or at least, that's what triggered my response.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Yes, that sounds about right. I've been thinking about it more, and there's something rather unique about the way Montgomery makes Anne often comic while still keeping the reader firmly convinced that we like seeing the world through her slightly off-kilter perspective, rather than sitting outside laughing at her.

Too tired now to verbalize it at all, but I'll hopefully post a quick follow-up question tomorrow, so please stop by at some point then if you'd like.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

steepholm sent me here, and it's a fun game, so I'll jump in. I haven't looked at anyone else's answers.

First pair: Rebecca first, Anne second. (I'm not completely sure.)
Second pair: Rebecca first, Anne second. (I'm absolutely sure.)
Third pair: Anne first, Rebecca second. (Absolutely sure.)

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

And absolutely right. Giving complete unanimity in responses about the passages which are easier to spot and the one that's difficult. Thanks for jumping in!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Far too headachy and hot to be able to sort thoughts, but was fascinated by the contrasts.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor you! I'm glad at least this was interesting, despite your feeling so rotten. (How happy it would make us to give you some of our rain atm, if only this could be arranged!)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I'd settle for clear air and temps below 100.

[dorianegray.livejournal.com]

Haven't read "Rebecca" in years; have read "Anne" many times. So these were quite easy for me - in the first two extracts, Anne is the second one; in the third, Anne is the first ("spirit and fire and dew" is a total giveaway there, aside from any of the rest of the extract).

end random datapoint... :-)

[colyngbourne.livejournal.com]

Forgive the unrelated comment on the end of your post, but I am hunting for someone whose LJ I commented on about nine months ago, who was writing about Sally Gardner's book "I Coriander" (and the fact that they didn't like it at all). I have lost my own review of this book (*I didn't enjoy it either!*) which I am trying to track down anywhere I might have posted it and wondered if it was your LJ it was on. If not, as someone au fait with lots of CYA LJ's perhaps you might know who it was instead.

Thanks if you can help.

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Yes, I can help, as it happens! It was fjm who wrote about I, Coriander and you posted in reply to her. (I had earlier written a LOT about my loathing for the book - on grounds of its inaccuracy, the fat/ugly = evil stupidity, and the sheer inconsistency even of the Faerie bits, among others - but I'd never seen anyone else say a bad word about it until F. did.)

No need for apologies for that kind of unrelated comment!

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

Hope that was more helpful than it appears to me atm, as I think fjm has disabled searching on her journal, so I couldn't find out *when* she posted that write-up. But you might find out when it was by my reply to your comment - either there or possibly that day I went to your LJ and found your review of it. Either way it'd give you the date of F's post. If you still have email notification of a reply or the comment in your LJ account...

[colyngbourne.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I kind of thought it was fjm or yourself. I'll have a hunt around as you suggest.