Lucy Maud Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables
Selected Excerpts (Chapter XVIII: Anne to the Rescue)
“Minnie May has croup all right; she’s pretty bad, but I’ve seen them worse. First we must have lots of hot water. I declare, Diana, there isn’t more than a cupful in the kettle! There, I’ve filled it up, and, Mary Joe, you may put some wood in the stove. I don’t want to hurt your feelings but it seems to me you might have thought of this before if you’d any imagination. Now, I’ll undress Minnie May and put her to bed and you try to find some soft flannel cloths, Diana. I’m going to give her a dose of ipecac first of all.”
“I was awfully near giving up in despair,” explained Anne. “She got worse and worse until she was sicker than ever the Hammond twins were, even the last pair. I actually thought she was going to choke to death. I gave her every drop of ipecac in that bottle and when the last dose went down I said to myself—not to Diana or Young Mary Joe, because I didn’t want to worry them any more than they were worried, but I had to say it to myself just to relieve my feelings—‘This is the last lingering hope and I fear, tis a vain one.’ But in about three minutes she coughed up the phlegm and began to get better right away. You must just imagine my relief, doctor, because I can’t express it in words. You know there are some things that cannot be expressed in words.”
Discussion Questions
What stands out to you about what medicine has to offer in this story?
How do the children in this story understand illness and death? How does this compare with today’s experiences?
What do we learn from classic children’s literature, and the way it encompasses the possibility that a child (or young woman) may possibly die?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“There was a great deal of debate in the late 19th/early 20th century about how to sort out croup from diphtheria, and ipecac was indeed used as a treatment for the latter, in hopes of loosening the “pseudomembrane” of necrotic material which could choke off the airway.” —@PerriKlass
“I’m struck by how Anne used what she had on hand and valued presence of mind and imagination as key tools. In medicine today we don’t always encourage certain attributes or acknowledge how they might contribute to our care of patients.” —@marypanwriter
“I think the book shows how two very different children relate to the same experience. Those sheltered like Diana still are fearful when confronting sickness. However those who are surrounded by it (like Anne) understand illness and death can be unfair in life.” —@pskantesaria
“I'm so thankful that I grew up reading books like Anne of Green Gables/Little Women - that opened me up to a conversation about life/death and what brings meaning/joy in life. Children's literature has such an important role in how we see the world growing up.” —@AshnaAsim
About this #MedHumChat
Anne of Green Gables was paired with Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for a #MedHumChat discussion April 15, 2020 exploring Illness in the Classics.
We were honored that Dr. Perri Klass (@PerriKlass) could join as a special guest for this discussion. Perri Klass, MD is a pediatrician who writes fiction and non-fiction covering a range of topics including children and families, medicine, food and travel, and knitting.
Dr. Klass also selected the pieces and discussion questions for this #MedHumChat.
About the Author
L.M. Montgomery (1874 - 1942) was a teacher and author from Prince Edward Island whose work was deeply influenced by the loss of loved ones to war and illness.