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Teaching Anne of Green Gables in the Land of Omar Khayyam Gholamreza Samigorganroodi, PhD (Sussex) Professor, School of Language and Liberal Studies, Fanshawe College Email: [email protected] Introduction Media Coverage The idea for this research grew out of my EFL classes in Iran. Anne of Green Gables was always on the reading list of my literature courses. When I first started teaching this novel in my classes, I realized how much my students loved this novel and its depiction of a lively and go-getting orphan and a serene and slow- paced rural life in Prince Edward Island. Objectives Conclusion Data Results I was trying to find out what happens when a novel like Anne of Greene Gables is read in another country which is essentially different from the one in which and for which the novel was written. I was trying to find out why, in my classes, Anne of Green Gables always encouraged students’ involvement and offered ample opportunities for them to contribute and share their own experiences, perceptions and opinions. When asked “why did you find Anne of Green Gables an interesting story”, my students came up with some interesting answers. One wrote about how she loves “Anne’s liveliness of character, the theatrical way she makes her apology to Mrs. Rachael and the flowery language she uses and the way she changes things which are annoying to things which can be enjoyable.” Another student expressed her admiration for the story because “the story gives you hope that even if you are not that beautiful, your beauty of mind and character can lead you into success and make your dreams come true.” Some of the responses revealed how closely students identified their situation with the situations in the book: “I love Anne of Green Gables”, wrote one student in her journal, “because it is a story that is never boring. To me Anne is not an abstract entity or a fictional character. She is a real person and I can establish a connection between her and my life.” Acknowledgments My students performing Anne of Green Gables in class Classroom Drama: Anne of Green Gables The Iranian students’ love for Anne of Green Gables stems from an interest in and ability to identify with the main character. Anne Shirley has elicited a degree of identification on the part of female Iranian readers and offered these young girls a medium through which they could see the projection of their images and aspirations in this fictional character. Could Montgomery have ever imagined that her story would one day transcend its context and reach people in such far-away lands as the land of her beloved poet, Omar Khayyam? When I examined the students’ responses, I thought I now realized why Anne of Green Gables has struck such a resonant chord among these young people. One reason for this popularity is the abundance of imagery and the quality of the language in Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables is rich in natural imagery and is embellished with figures of speech. This poetic language is the characteristic of the Persian language and literature which are often loaded with tropes and rhetorical figures. The idyllic world of Anne Shirley also reminded the students of their own peaceful villages and towns. The natural splendor of PEI reminded them of the lush and bucolic Persian coastal regions, pastoral landscapes, and the breathtaking forests, rivers, caves and waterfalls. The full version of this research paper will be published in a book entitled, Anne around the World, in May, 2013 by Queens-McGill University Press. I would like to thank the publisher and the editors for their permission to use this material on this poster. During the devastating eight-year Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) which came at a great loss in lives and economic damages, nearly all Iranian families were affected by the war. So many children were brought up as orphans and this is why the students could relate their situation to that of Anne Shirley because they have experienced Anne’s problems at first hand. Anne Shirley lives in her dream world. Her powerful imagination comes to her rescue. This is a gift my young students also possessed. They resort to dreams when reality becomes too burdensome. Anne Shirley captured the hearts and minds of my Iranian students because she follows her heart against all odds. She does not allow life to make her a victim of circumstances. No obstacles can hinder her imagination and her dreams. She is feisty, lively, energetic, romantic and stubborn. The students could see their own reflections in Anne. They do not like to be pitied and never let anyone make them a victim. The girls, particularly, could associate themselves with Anne Shirley. The novel became a mirror in which they saw their own reflection. Above, you can see an article entitled, “Anne in Iran”, that appeared in “Buzz,” a Charlottetown local newspaper. CBC Radio (Maritime Noon) also interviewed the author about this research. The audio file of this interview is available for listening.
