Anne with an E (2014) is an example of what Unsworth defines as a “recontextualised literary text” (in Walsh, p. 182) in the form of a Youtube web-series that translates the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery into a modern digital retelling. Adopting the form of the ubiquitous teen girl vlog, Anne with an E capitalises on the dramatic focus on the thoughts and dreams of the individual so championed by the Youtuber monologue to fantastically showcase the original protagonists exuberant and loquacious personality. At a time when retellings of stories are commonplace, this grass roots appropriation has managed to alight upon the perfect convergence of text, creator, and medium to give a classic tale new life.
For many middle grade or YA readers, a classic read (albeit a largely accessibly one) like Montgomery’s Green Gables series is not often a popular choice – despite its recent resurgence with the 100 year anniversary of the text in 2008 and the 2017 Netflix adaptation, also titled Anne with an E. Though the series has been a long time favourite of my own, I have never managed to have it reached the heights of our ‘top borrowed’ list within our school library. I feel this to be a true shame as, however long since it has been published, it’s protagonist – with her eternal optimism and relatable foibles – has remained consistently relevant to readers on the cusp of independence. It is this timelessness of Anne Shirley, I believe, that makes Anne of Green Gables a remarkable option for digital reprisal. With this is mind, it is time to reconsider what it means to truly ‘read’ a text. If, as Lamb says, it is the “process of constructing meaning from symbols” then Anne with an E, with its layering of symbols (literary, digital, and social), is a prime candidate for this new trend in digital literacy.
In this web-series retelling, the creators, Alicia Whitson, Mandy Harmon, and Marie Trotter, embrace not only the digital medium of Youtube to share their creation, but call upon the wider internet to truly make this an immersive, transmedia experience. From the in character ‘About’ page which allows ‘Anne Shirley’ to state that she “started this vlog to record [her] first year living with [her] new foster family, the Cuthberts”, to the in comment inclusions of her twitter handle, everything about this account begs the reader to engage, to explore, and to find a joy in storytelling. The sheer level of detail in this endeavour, in the creator’s dedication to multiple accounts across multiple platforms (Youtube, Instagram, Twitter), in order to give their ‘Anne’ a community of characters to mention, link to, and interact with, sets up their protagonist not only as one who is appropriate to the format they have adopted, but makes her a contemporary to the very readers they are trying to share their story with. This elevates this adaptation of Anne of Green Gables from a mere retelling, to a true experience of digital literature.
This text has found an appreciative reader in me and I would not hesitate to recommend this to my students across Stages 4 and 5. It has found a happy home within my school library and with my students, as well as becoming an extension text embedded within my English teaching program about Digital Storytelling. Anne with an E is an admirable example of creatively, adaptability, and renewal which is worthy of enjoyment and study.
References
AnneWithAnE. (2014). Green Gables Fables [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/greengablesfables?feature=watch
Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live
Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). https://doms.csu.edu.au/csu/file/863c5c8d-9f3f-439f-a7e3-2c2c67ddbfa8/1/ALiteratureCompanionforTeachers.pdf