Chapters 4-6, On to New Moon

Hello Ladies,

Perhaps it is the fact that I read the sensible frontier oriented Little House books growing up, but I begin to question my connection to the magical and mystical listening to you two describe your connections to Emily. To me, those times when Montgomery's heroes and heroines are off naming trees and running with the Wind Woman always seem the most fanciful and unrealistic, but maybe I was just a too pragmatic a child grown into a too prosaic adult.

Adonia, I think you are definitely right about the Gothic qualities of this book. One of my favorite passages in these chapters was the description of the New Moon kitchen: "[The kitchen] had dark wooden walls and low ceiling, with black rafters crossing it, from which hung hams and sides of bacon and bunches of herbs and new socks and mittens, and many other things, the names and uses of which Emily could not imagine." How evocative! From a child's perspective the ceiling must have been so high and shadowy by candle light.

Also Gothic was Emily's farewell to her father, kissing the cold glass. Poor little girl. It does seem amazing that our cultural understanding of children could have changed so much in a relativity short amount of time.

On that front though, I am optimistic about the folks at New Moon. It seems like between the three of them they have all the makings of a proper supportive environment for Emily. Aunt Laura can give her unconditional love, Cousin Jimmy can be whimsical and give her candy, and Aunt Elizabeth can teach her that it is rude to eavesdrop. Did anyone else find it interesting that Emily's main sin of sitting under the table during the Murray meeting was one of rudeness. I feel like now we would just say "what a bad little girl," while they were all saying "what a willfully rude little girl."

I very much liked Vera's imagery of Emily as the bright "Starr." There was a nice passage to that effect in the 6th chapter, when Aunt Elizabeth won't open the window at night: "oh, for the dancing friendliness of well-known stars shining down through her open window!" An image of Emily searching for family and a kindred spirit. If this were an Anne book, I would say she might find one, but I'm not on solid predicting ground with Emily yet.

And why do I keep finding myself drawn to the comparisons between our mores and Emily's? I guess it is these differences that I find most striking. I'm sure there will be some adventures in New Moon though, to distract me from historical comparisons, if I'm any judge of Montgomery.

Till then, in bed with a griffin,
Sarah