Anne with an E: Episode 4 (S1E4)
How childhood trauma is a catalyst for paracosmic fantasy, something J.M Barrie and Emily Brontë knew something about, and inner strength/smarts prevails over "pretty privilege"
S1E4 is titled "An Inward Treasure Born" / Alt Title: N/A
Once again [see E3], the episode’s title is borrowed from Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre,” clearly an inspiration for showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett - "I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive" is a reflection of the idea that a person's inner qualities are more important than their external appearance. It suggests that a person’s uniqueness is what can make their inner light shine through, in spite of outward appearances.
“It doesn’t matter what the other girls think. It matters what you think. And I think Anne is marvelous and brave.” - Diana to Ruby about Ruby’s reluctance to stay with Anne because she may end up a social pariah as a result
Throughout the first few episodes, I’ve been reluctant to discuss Anne’s proper disdain for her looks because, quite honestly, I don’t see it. However, this is a recurring theme in this show and throughout the LM Montgomery series. Anne’s limiting self-belief is that her homely appearance, persistent freckles, and red hair will forever condemn her to living a life that is less than [fill-in-the-blank]. And as she often puts it in her dramatic way, “it’s tragical.”
The fallout from events in Episode 3, including her harsh treatment by her classmates, teacher, Mr. Philips, and the townspeople, has forced Anne to retreat back into her mental cage and safe place. There, she seeks the comfort of imaginary friends, Katie Maurice, who may or may not be a clock, and her fantasy world of stories, which she creates to shield her from the painful reality at school. She’s still functional, but barely. [More of this is examined 👇 the paywall] In theory, Anne’s nimble, free-thinking mind and infectious curiosity should make school the natural place to flex her wits, but the social conventions and constraints render it a non-idyllic environment for growth.
“He understands that school is a torment for me. I don’t have any friends.” - Anne to Marilla [about Matthew]
As I mentioned in a previous post [here], the show is about a middle-school-aged orphan named Anne who is adopted by older siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. It takes place in the late 19th century on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Anne’s traumatic backstory is fully examined, and remnants of her past, in the form of voiceovers and flashbacks, reoccur to a lesser extent throughout the series as she heals and finds a more secure attachment with Marilla and Matthew.
From the Minds of Brilliant Middle Schoolers
Reflecting on Anne’s Ability to Self-Teach as an alternative to traditional school: “The way Anne can teach herself - maintaining high discipline and high intelligence, also emotional awareness is really exceptional.” - My daughter
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This is Me Trying: Show-Song Connection
If you’ve read my work, you will likely know my fondness for Taylor Swift’s music and her lyrics. I saw her perform on the Eras Tour, which you can read about here, and this made me even more of a fan because she truly gives her all and works her fan magic for 3.5+ hours.
The song that instantly sprung to mind for me in this episode is off Swift’s Folklore album. It’s called, “This is Me Trying,” and apparently was one of my top Spotify songs of 2024, even though I don’t remember listening to it more than a handful of times in any given afternoon.
Swift has been vocal about the song’s meaning. [Listen to her talk about it here] Essentially, it’s about people struggling with addiction and mental illness and how you never know what another person who is suffering is going through or how hard it is for them, because it’s an invisible struggle. As Swift says, “Everyday they are actively fighting” and Antonoff, her producing partner comments, "You have no idea how hard it is to get to the point where you guys think is still shitty. The idea of doing your best (or trying) is one that only [a person going through it] knows.” This empathy-infused song came to mind because of Anne’s fragile mental state in this episode and her coping in the ways she can - by surrounding herself with imaginary friends and isolating herself from the cruelty of those at school, who can hurt her in ways that bring her back to the torment and abuse she experienced at the asylum/orphanage.
I just wanted you to know
That this is me trying
I just wanted you to know
That this is me trying
They told me all of my cages were mental
So I got wasted like all my potential
And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad
I have a lot of regrets about that
I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere
Fell behind all my classmates, and I ended up here
Themes of Episode: Resilience, Trauma, Childhood, Confidence, Courage, Friendships, Knowledge as Power, Healing
“Life is not magic. You can’t just wish yourself away.” - Marilla