S01.E04: An Inward Treasure Born

[OtterMommy]

Quote

A house fire helps Anne in her decision of whether or not to go back to school.

[SomeTameGazelle]

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"Honesty isn't actually a policy though, is it."

This irked me when I heard it in the promos this week and seeing it in context didn't make it any better. If I am supposed to cheer Anne for talking back to the narrow-minded minister, I'd prefer something more in keeping with Anne's poetic and imaginative nature, not a feeble attempt at a literal legalistic point-scoring that doesn't bear up under scrutiny. "Honesty" is shorthand for the policy of always striving to be honest and truthful with others, you insufferably precocious little brat.

[SeanC]

Anne offering to loan Ruby one of her dresses because "I have two!", delivering that line like she sincerely considers that an expansive wardrobe, was my favourite of the night.

The expanded role for Jerry in the Cuthbert household dynamics has been one of the quiet successes of this series.

The repurposing of Anne's momentary refusal to go to school in the books as an examination of her potential career paths reminded me of when one of my cousins read the whole book series and was kind of annoyed that after becoming a teacher and eventually school principal, Anne ends up as purely a homemaker in the later books (accurate for the time period, of course, but for a lot of people these days it's hard to square with the feisty child of the early stories).

[JTM]

That's funny -- "honesty isn't actually a policy, though, is it" struck me as exactly the kind of thing Anne would say. Because she actually thinks about words and what they mean, and because she invariably blurts out exactly what she's thinking, and because she wouldn't have been able to NOT say what she was thinking, minister or no minister.

Edited April 10, 2017 by JTM
including all the words in a sentence is good.

[SomeTameGazelle]

12 minutes ago, JTM said:

Because she actually thinks about words and what they mean, and because she invariably blurts out exactly what she's thinking, and because she wouldn't have been able to NOT say what she was thinking, minister or no minister.

For me that's actually the opposite of Anne, especially at this stage. Her interest in language is more about how the words sound and make her feel -- she frequently doesn't know or much care about the meaning (and in some cases is disappointed when she finds out the real meaning). She usually does manage to refrain from saying what she thinks except with people she is comfortable with, with the enormous exceptions of Mrs Lynde and Gilbert, and in both cases what set her off was that they were (or seemed to her to be) making personal remarks about her looks.

I was rereading the section in the book where she goes to church and Sunday school without Marilla and these jumped out at me as examples of what I mean (bolding mine):

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Miss Rogerson was a middle-aged lady who had taught a Sunday-school class for twenty years. Her method of teaching was to ask the printed questions from the quarterly and look sternly over its edge at the particular little girl she thought ought to answer the question. She looked very often at Anne, and Anne, thanks to Marilla’s drilling, answered promptly; but it may be questioned if she understood very much about either question or answer.

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Miss Rogerson asked ever so many. I don’t think it was fair for her to do all the asking. There were lots I wanted to ask her, but I didn’t like to because I didn’t think she was a kindred spirit.

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she told me to learn the nineteenth paraphrase for next Sunday. I read it over in church afterwards and it’s splendid. There are two lines in particular that just thrill me. “‘Quick as the slaughtered squadrons fell In Midian’s evil day.’ “I don’t know what ‘squadrons’ means nor ‘Midian,’ either, but it sounds _so_ tragical.

[JTM]

Great points! It is possible that I have just fallen head over heels for this Anne -- even as a lifelong lover of all LMM's work -- and so am going with the flow uncritically ;-).

[Pepper the Cat]

I loved it.

a complete stand alone from the books, yet everything was completely in character.

The expanded character of Jerry is a fabulous idea. 

I am also enjoying the effort made to keep things historically accurate. The entire village coming out to fight the fire, the bucket brigade, the farming out of the family was all very well done. 

Just loving this Anne!

[Bec]

That Jerry kid is adorable. I bet you the show's already planning to add a Jerry/Anne/Gilbert love triangle. And did Ruby get between Anne and Gilbert in the books? I don't remember that happening, but it has been a long time since I read the books.

When Anne was trying to get her imaginary friend to show up, I thought we were about to enter into some kind of multiple personality disorder storyline. I'm glad that didn't actually happen. Would have been a bit much.

3 hours ago, SeanC said:

one of my cousins read the whole book series and was kind of annoyed that after becoming a teacher and eventually school principal, Anne ends up as purely a homemaker in the later books (accurate for the time period, of course, but for a lot of people these days it's hard to square with the feisty child of the early stories).

Ha! I know that feel! Probably part of why I didn't like the books that came later in the series as much as I liked the early ones.

[Camera One]

4 hours ago, Pepper the Cat said:

I am also enjoying the effort made to keep things historically accurate. The entire village coming out to fight the fire, the bucket brigade, the farming out of the family was all very well done. 

I did find it a bit weird and unlikely that Marilla had no idea who Ruby Gillis was and Diana had to introduce her.  It was like last week when Marilla wasn't familiar with Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Andrews.  In a small town, everyone would know each other.

Having said that, I thought this was the best episode since the pilot.  I did have doubts at the very beginning when Anne was acting all looney on the roof and even Matthew was saying scornfully she was supposed to be getting eggs.  I also didn't find her letting the pie burn endearing, especially since she seemed totally unapologetic about it.

But the episode got better after that, and I think it did a good job of exploring how Anne eventually came around to the idea of going back to school.  It was fun seeing Anne as a hero at the fire, and how that led to developing a friendship with Ruby, though that happened a little too fast.  

Mrs. Lynde is starting to grow on me.  I liked that she was right about not forcing Anne to go back to school, and Marilla learned that the hard way.  The scene with Marilla and Anne in the bedroom at the end was well done.

I was really glad to see they hadn't forgotten Katie the Window Friend.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Camera One

[greekmom]

Really enjoying this now. More in the spirit of what life was like back then with familiar characters than an actual follow the book script.  Like a gritty Road to Avonlea.

Enjoyed the town pitching in to put out the fire.  I thought Anne was going into the home to save someone.  Still hate the Andrew's boy and hoping that he is taking down a peg and shuts up when it's found out that Prissy was indeed flirting with Mr. Phillips.

Super glad Ruby came around but she's in for a world of disappointment since Gilbert doesn't like her that way.

[Keener]

19 hours ago, Bec said:

That Jerry kid is adorable. I bet you the show's already planning to add a Jerry/Anne/Gilbert love triangle. And did Ruby get between Anne and Gilbert in the books? I don't remember that happening, but it has been a long time since I read the books.

I think Jerry is meant more to be the audience's voice. They need someone relative in age to play off Anne when Diana isn't around, so I think he just fills a particularly needed role. With Gilbert they've already clearly set up that he has a massive crush on Anne what with all his sidelong gazes. 

Re: Ruby....

Spoiler

Sadly Ruby dies in the third book (Anne of Avonlea) of consumption/tuberculosis. But by then I think most people in Avonlea have decided that Anne & Gilbert are OTP and are sort of avoiding getting between them because they know it's pointless. 

[PRgal]

11 hours ago, Keener said:

 

  Hide contents

Sadly Ruby dies in the third book (Anne of Avonlea) of consumption/tuberculosis. But by then I think most people in Avonlea have decided that Anne & Gilbert are OTP and are sort of avoiding getting between them because they know it's pointless. 

 

Spoiler

I believe that's book 2.  Book 3 is Anne of the Island

[SomeTameGazelle]

14 hours ago, PRgal said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I believe that's book 2.  Book 3 is Anne of the Island

I have taken my reply to the books thread, since it is about the books rather than the episode. Warning: untagged spoilers.

[tennisgurl]

I really loved Anne being the hero at the fire, and everyone actually admitting that she did a good thing. Maybe everyone will stop being such assholes to her. I liked seeing the whole town putting the fire out, and how they fought fires back than. I really dig the historical details on the show, even when they don't get things totally right.

I was skeptical, but I really like Jerry as an added dynamic to the Cuthbert home. Its nice for Anne to have another kid to play off of, especially one that isn't really connected to the school or the cliques there. He and Anne are fun together. If I didn't know where this was actually going, I would suspect they were setting up him to be her future love interest when they get older, but maybe they will do more of a sibling/friend thing with them, or they do have a childhood crush/romance, but he dies tragically at some point or has to leave.

I was so worried that Ruby would snub Anne as soon as she got to school, but it looks like they're actually going to be friends. I hope she starts making more friends at school, I always like peoples reactions out hangout out with Anne. She really is something else.

You know, change the music and the lighting in some of those scenes with Anne alone (like when she was talking to the clock after hearing her friends voice, or talking to the pinecones) and this starts to look like a horror movie. It seemed like we were starting to move from whimsical to delusional. I'm glad they seem to be steering away from that now, especially as she's back at school and making more friends.

I was totally with Anne yelling at that older kid "What's wrong with you?!?!" like, seriously kid, what is your problem? First he was being a bully to Anne because everyone was picking on her for being a dreaded orphan, than because she was talking about his sister, but now he's clearly just a belligerent asshole to anyone! Back off kid!

[Miss Slay]

I rolled my eyes at the storyline of Anne going into a burning house. I preferred the book where Anne stood out because of her intelligence and winning personality. Apparently that truly is old fashioned, indeed.

[Keener]

21 hours ago, Miss Slay said:

I rolled my eyes at the storyline of Anne going into a burning house. I preferred the book where Anne stood out because of her intelligence and winning personality. Apparently that truly is old fashioned, indeed.

But going into the house did show her intelligence. She'd learned on her own that the fire grew because of the oxygen brought on by all the open doors and windows. 

[Primetimer]

With 'An Inward Treasure Born,' a catastrophe causes Marilla to lean into her maternal role at last.

View the full article

[Anothermi]

Good recap (again).

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Anne, ever the smarty pants, assesses the situation quickly, realizing that the doors and windows in the house should be closed to slow the fire. Instead of making this suggestion to an adult, Anne runs into the burning building on her own.

Regarding the quoted section above in bold: I wasn't at all surprised that Anne acted on her own and didn't try to influence an adult. Her life experience to this point is one of having to cope with crises on her own and be scolded (at the very least) if she isn't successful. I was particularly pleased that Marilla was shown worried to death, but only being happy she was safe and proud of her. Another reaction, less rational if equally human, would be to yell at Anne that she could have been KILLED!!! and how could she DO that to (her mother). I hate that reaction (even though I understand it) as it sends confusing messages.

Here's a question for recent book readers (or those who know the book by heart). Did Anne ever mention in passing that she was so hungry for reading in the orphanage that she even read the fire safety booklet (or whatever they had). It's sounds like something she may have rattled off when talking to Matthew. I'm asking because I wondered if this show added this scene because it could have happened, or if there was a seed lurking in the book.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Anothermi

[iMonrey]

I sort of felt like this episode jumped the proverbial shark. Anne crossed over from lively and overly imaginative to positively disturbed and it wasn't at all pleasant to watch her talk to imaginary people in her reading shack or her invisible friend who lives inside a clock. Again, this take on the story isn't really in keeping with the spirit of the books and I find so much of it annoying. It's a very similar story, but it's like taking Pollyanna and turning her from The Glad Girl to the Mentally Disturbed Girl. That's . . . a big difference and misses the point of the story entirely.

[dmc]

I don't like this as much as the original but I do think they nailed the Marilla choice. No to Gilbert...and their relationship in this version is different and not for the better

[YoSaffBridge]

I don't like this as much as the original but I do think they nailed the Marilla choice. No to Gilbert...and their relationship in this version is different and not for the better

I agree, I think Matthew and Marilla are both lovely. I think they soften up Marilla more than in the book, but in a way that I really love and that still seems true.

I'm having more of an issue with Anne. Anne is not a give-up girl, and the constant "I'm never going back!" and various wheedlings grate on me. Book Anne may have been too idealized, but I also love the version of herself that really is "Well, I can start fresh tomorrow!" A lot of stuff with everyone being so cruel hasn't really sat well with me because it's not at all in the book. As a separate entity, sure, but part of the charm of the books is that Anne feels things so much which is how she's able to process them.

[Anothermi]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

it wasn't at all pleasant to watch her talk to imaginary people in her reading shack or her invisible friend who lives inside a clock.

I can't remember if Anne had more than one imaginary friend, the "her invisible friend who lives inside a clock" was in the book (although not explicitly in a clock). Anne named her Katie Maurice. Here is one of Wikipedia's explanations of her:

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Katie Maurice was the imaginary friend invented by Anne Shirley. She took up residency in Anne's reflection whenever she saw it in a mirror, window, or water.

Or in this case, the reflection from the glass in the clock. I know of many children, even currently, who have imaginary friends. Anne had no real friends so it made sense for her to create friend(s) who were interested in what she had to say and didn't find her weird. I'm not sure why the show runners chose the clock glass to invoke Katie Maurice but perhaps because it was an easy segue from there to the book cabinet where she formed the idea of pretending to go to school and coming home with something "learned" to tell Marilla.

As far as the other imaginary friends (pine cones?), I felt they showed Anne's comfort level with entertaining herself. (She'd had a lot of practice). Just spend a day with a child who can't do that and you may wish for the pleasant relief of a child who can talk to inanimate objects. :-) 

I liked those scenes and felt they showed showed Anne's prodigious ability to cope with difficult things. (albeit in a less than "socially acceptable" way).

[Miss Dee]

Anne also made imaginary friends with an "echo" she named Violetta. Anne lived a "starved, unloved" life according to the novel, so it's not hard to imagine her embuing her imaginary relationships with all the passion and drama she eventually brought to her real ones.

[Camera One]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I sort of felt like this episode jumped the proverbial shark. Anne crossed over from lively and overly imaginative to positively disturbed and it wasn't at all pleasant to watch her talk to imaginary people in her reading shack or her invisible friend who lives inside a clock. Again, this take on the story isn't really in keeping with the spirit of the books and I find so much of it annoying. It's a very similar story, but it's like taking Pollyanna and turning her from The Glad Girl to the Mentally Disturbed Girl. That's . . . a big difference and misses the point of the story entirely.

The invisible friend in the clock was pretty much her Window Friend from the book, but I can see the point about the imaginary people in the shack.  I was actually surprised that she didn't talk to the reflection in the glass in Episode 1 in the flashbacks, since she did that when she was younger.  It is a little strange to have her do it in the present-day four episodes in.  

[Anothermi]

7 minutes ago, Camera One said:

It is a little strange to have her do it in the present-day four episodes in.  

Agreed. it was a coping mechanism she developed in the orphanage IIRC. But this isn't the only instance of time-line rejigging that this show has done. I'm satisfied that they included Katie Maurice at least.

[Roseanna]

On ‎10‎.‎4‎.‎2017 at 8:07 AM, Bec said:

That Jerry kid is adorable. I bet you the show's already planning to add a Jerry/Anne/Gilbert love triangle. 

How so? Jerry is a farmhand, so he couldn't interest interest Anne who regarded also Gilbert "unromantic". Unless Jerry will have a possibility to go to school.

Also, why would all relationship between boys and girls have to be romantic? Why can't there be also pure friendship? 

[SomeTameGazelle]

On 5/15/2017 at 8:59 PM, Keener said:

But going into the house did show her intelligence. She'd learned on her own that the fire grew because of the oxygen brought on by all the open doors and windows. 

I finally watched to the end of this episode and it struck me as implausible that Anne's reading about the theory of fire from a fire safety manual at the orphanage would be something that saved the day while the entire village of Avonlea, who presumably lit fires and tended them for both cooking and heating on a daily basis, was present and actively working to put out the fire.

I was also annoyed that after Anne insisted on going to the barn to help Jerry and show how she could work like a boy she just flopped down on the straw and lectured Jerry about ambition and imagination instead of actually helping until she dismissed him for telling her she should go back to school. But the expanded role of Jerry made me wish a bit that Moira Walley-Beckett had chosen to adapt Emily of New Moon instead and worked out the class issues with Perry Miller and Ilse Burnley instead of forcing it on Anne.

It felt to me strange that Diana was so excited to see Anne at the fire when they haven't really been portraying the close bosom friendship in all of the drama going on. In the book Anne and Diana bond immediately and are inseparable

Spoiler

until Mrs Barry forbids Diana to see Anne after the raspberry cordial/currant wine incident.

[MrHammondsGhost]

On 4/9/2017 at 9:01 PM, SeanC said:

 Anne ends up as purely a homemaker in the later books (accurate for the time period, of course, but for a lot of people these days it's hard to square with the feisty child of the early stories).

Anne becoming a wife and mother (a homemaker) in the books does seems to be far too mellow dramatic for the Anne girl.

In one episode she declares that she wants to do something astonishing.

My view has always been that Anne was a resemblance of L.M. Montgomery in that Anne became the world famous author.

-------------------------

QUESTION for anyone:

What did Matthew mean when he said of Anne that = "She always seems to be a bit at sixes and sevens."

The scene from E4 went like this = Anne burned the pie then Marilla declares Anne must go back to school, then Anne says that Matthew told her that she did not have to go to school, then Marilla marches angrily out to Mathew declaring that Matthew cuddles the girl, then Matthew says the unknown line = "She always seems to be a bit at sixes and sevens."

I have thought that maybe he meant 6's or 7's o'clock and that makes no sense, or maybe Matthew was trying to home-school Anne in arithmetic and that too seems unlikely.

Does anyone have any idea of the meaning?

[SeanC]

24 minutes ago, MrHammondsGhost said:

Does anyone have any idea of the meaning?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_sixes_and_sevens

[Anothermi]

4 hours ago, MrHammondsGhost said:

Marilla marches angrily out to Mathew declaring that Matthew cuddles the girl, t

Just another clarification. Marilla said "coddles the girl" which is also a phrase that isn't used much anymore.

Coddle - to treat with extreme or excessive care or kindness : pamper

It's a re-purposing of a word that describes a method of cooking eggs or fruit. Here is a link to where I got the definition. The cooking method is listed 1st.

[Camera One]

On 12/31/2017 at 6:43 PM, SomeTameGazelle said:

I was also annoyed that after Anne insisted on going to the barn to help Jerry and show how she could work like a boy she just flopped down on the straw and lectured Jerry about ambition and imagination instead of actually helping until she dismissed him for telling her she should go back to school. 

This is one of the things that bothers me most about this new adaptation.  I kept waiting for Anne to pick up the pitchfork in that scene.  I've always admired Anne for her industriousness and this version seems to be all talk and no action.  It's not just in this episode, but Anne seems to be quite a snob towards Jerry.  For someone who grew up with such poverty, Anne would have been more sympathetic.  I think she would have pitied Jerry for not being able to get an education, instead of smugly dismissing him as ignorant.

I've heard people use "coddle" for children even these days.  On dictionary.com and Oxford, it's the first definition. Though Cambridge dictionary has the cooking one first.  Collins dictionary has the cooking definition first for American English and the "treat with indulgence" as first for British English.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Camera One

[Anothermi]

1 hour ago, Camera One said:

I've heard people use "coddle" for children even these days.  On dictionary.com and Oxford, it's the first definition.

Hee! I only mentioned that the cooking definition was listed 1st to indicate to scroll down, not as proof of its more used meaning.  I would hazard a guess that many people now would not know how to "coddle" eggs or fruit. But I also think "spoil" is used more frequently than "coddle" now-a-days for children.

Thanks for doing the British vs American search.  This difference has been at the root of many pronunciation/meaning disagreements I've experienced. It may be why I believe that coddle isn't in much use anymore. It isn't used much in North America (in my experience, though I'm sure it still is in some locations within). I mostly remember it from books, not live conversations.

[MrHammondsGhost]

On 1/1/2018 at 4:07 PM, Anothermi said:

Just another clarification. Marilla said "coddles the girl"

Oh!

That is right, as I had the wrong word.

Now everyone is going to think that I am an old gooseberry.