Canada’s Dark Secret: Anne Of Green Gables Adopted Parents Were Brother and Sister

By Scott Slute

Op-Ed - Yes. You read that correctly. Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert were not just one of those weird, Puritanical, turn-of-the-century married couples who sleep in separate twin beds because they think sharing a bed will make God sad. No, they are in fact a pair of siblings who share a house for some reason and for some even stranger reason are allowed to adopt a child despite being very upfront about the fact they intend to use it for unpaid child labour on their farm.

I understand that anyone who is a fan of Anne of Green Gables (a “Gabler”?) probably already knows this. And anyone who just learned this now probably does not care. So I am either typing into the ether or just upsetting my grandmother. Nevertheless, it’s really weird they act like a married couple and you’re wrong if you disagree.

Now, does Canada have much darker skeletons in their historical closest than a fictional incestuous couple from 120 years ago? Yes. Is this author pigeonholing incest into this wholesome story for no particular reason? Also yes. But is it disturbing to know that in the 20th century it was completely acceptable for the weird siblings who live alone on their farm outside of town to adopt a child because they wanted to use it for slave labour on their farm, yet gay people were only legally allowed to adopt children as of 1998? (Please see above answers.)

Perhaps it was normal in 1908 for two middle aged, single siblings to both have zero romantic interests and live together like a married couple. Possibly, L.M. Montgomery just didn’t think it was necessary to include sex and romance in a book intended to teach children how to read. Maybe the Cuthbert’s were both asexual, but societal norms of the time wouldn’t allow them to live as their true selves. I don’t know and I really don’t care. I just spent the last two decades thinking they were married and then my morning got ruined when I found out they weren’t so now you’re morning is ruined too.

Scott Slute is the Editor in Chief at The Toronto Harold