Gilbert Blythe is a fictional character in Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...

's Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...

series of novels.

In the CBC Television

CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

 film adaptations of the 1980s, Gilbert Blythe is portrayed by Jonathan Crombie

Jonathan Crombie

Jonathan Crombie is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Gilbert Blythe in CBC Television's 1985 telefilm Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels. He was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his role in the Canadian Stage Company's 1997 production of Tom Stoppard's play Arcadia...

. For the 1934 film adaption

Anne of Green Gables (1934 film)

Anne of Green Gables is a 1934 film directed by George Nichols Jr., based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery...

, Gilbert is portrayed by Tom Brown

Tom Brown

Tom Brown may refer to:In sports:*Tom Brown , 19th-century baseball player and manager*Tom Brown , former NFL player and MLB outfielder/first baseman...

. In the Japanese anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, he is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue

Kazuhiko Inoue

is a veteran voice actor from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.-Biography:Since his debut in 1973, Kazuhiko Inoue has become one of Japan's most well established voice actors. His early roles from the 1970s include Anthony in Candy Candy, and later as Joe in the 1979 remake of Cyborg 009...

. For the musical that has run for more than 40 years at the Charlottetown Festival

Charlottetown Festival

The Charlottetown Festival is a seasonal Canadian musical theatre festival which runs from late May to mid-October every year since 1965.Named after its host city, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, since its inception the festival has showcased Canada's most popular and longest-running musical,...

 which focuses on Anne and Gilbert's relationship, the CD recording features Andrew MacBean

Andrew MacBean

Andrew MacBean is a theatre director and writer based in New York City, New York and London, England.He was born in Toronto, Ontario on February 7, 1963, grew up in Pickering and Toronto, and attended Queen's University at Kingston, where he received a B.A. in Drama and Music...

 as Gilbert.

Character description

Gilbert is described in the books as being very handsome, with dark, curly hair and hazel eyes. He is tall with a lean build.

In his youth, he seems aware of his good looks and popularity with the girls; perhaps because of this, he sometimes tends to seem a bit smug and self-assured. Anne's dismissal of his affections, however, seems to ground him, and he matures and is well liked by many. Throughout the series, Gilbert is depicted as a fair, practical and reliable man, who is inclined to have a "common sense" view of things. Keenly intelligent, he has a strong wit and sense of humor. As Gilbert matures, he becomes less headstrong and demonstrates a sense of patience and devotion. He eventually becomes a highly-respected doctor in the town of Glen St. Mary, PEI, where he lives with his wife Anne and their six children, and the family's spinster housekeeper, Susan.

Series overview

Gilbert Blythe takes an immediate interest in Anne Shirley

Anne Shirley

Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...

 upon their first meeting; however, when Anne ignores him, he teasingly calls her "Carrots" because of her red hair, unaware of her sensitivity about it. In response, Anne smashes her slate

Slate (writing)

A writing slate is a piece of flat material used as a medium for writing.In the 19th century, writing slates were made of slate, which is more durable than paper and was cheap at the time when paper was expensive. It was used to allow children to practice writing...

 over his head in anger; and despite his attempts to apologize, she refuses to forgive him for several years. Throughout the entire first book, Gilbert repeatedly shows admiration for Anne, but she coldly rebuffs him. She continues her grudge even after he rescues her from the pond after a near-disastrous reenactment of Tennyson's "Lancelot and Elaine". They develop a strong academic rivalry instead (though the competition is entirely goodnatured on Gilbert's side), and Anne gradually acknowledges Gilbert as an intellectual equal; they eventually compete to win scholarships at Queens Academy. Following his time at Queens, Gilbert decides to teach at the Avonlea school to finance his future college education. When one of Anne's caretakers, Matthew, dies of a heart attack, Anne chooses to give up the Avery Scholarship in order to stay at Green Gables and support Marilla. After learning of Anne's predicament, Gilbert, who has always loved Anne, gives up his position so Anne can teach in Avonlea and live at Green Gables with Marilla. Gilbert goes on to teach at the White Sands School and Anne, after learning of his noble act, finally forgives him and they become good friends.

During the two years Anne teaches in Avonlea, Gilbert and Anne become very close. At the end of their teaching 'chapter in life' Anne starts to have stronger feelings towards him, but does not recognize them as love. Gilbert aspires to become a doctor and goes on to study at Redmond College, where he is joined by Anne, freed of personal obligations after the widowed Rachel Lynde moves to Green Gables to keep Marilla company, in Anne of the Island

Anne of the Island

Anne of the Island is a the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery about Anne Shirley.Anne of the Island was published in 1915, seven years after the bestselling Anne of Green Gables...

.

Gilbert's feelings for Anne become increasingly apparent during their first year of college, while Anne becomes uncomfortable around him because she believes her feelings for Gilbert are entirely platonic

Platonic love

Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...

 as he does not match her idealized notion of true love, which requires a handsome, melancholy, and over-romanticized hero. However, Anne's jealousy of Gilbert's other potential love interests, her moments of physical attraction for him, and her deep respect and devotion to their friendship suggest that she may be falling in love with him without realizing it.

In their second year of college, Gilbert proposes but Anne refuses him, saying she doesn't care for him "in that way" and that she only wants to be his friend. Disappointed, Gilbert reveals that "your friendship can't satisfy me, Anne. I want your love -- and you tell me I can never have that". Their relationship becomes awkward, especially after Anne meets and is courted by fellow Redmond student Roy Gardner, a man who at first seems to personify her "ideal", although Anne secretly admits to herself that Roy lacks certain qualities and that she and Roy do not share a mutual sense of humor. Gilbert seems to concede defeat and Anne believes that he has become involved with another student, Christine Stuart, who is later revealed to be only a friend. Instead, he focuses his attention to obtaining the Cooper Prize, a prestigious scholarship that will allow him to attend medical school.

Not long after graduation, Gilbert contracts typhoid fever

Typhoid fever

Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...

 as a result of physically exhausting himself during school. Anne, who has recently refused a proposal of marriage from Roy Gardner after realizing during his proposal that she does not love Roy, is shocked to learn that Gilbert may die. She realizes that she loves and has always loved him, that "she belonged to him and he to her", and recognizes at last that she mistook her "bond" to Gilbert for strong friendship instead of true love, while her relationship with Roy was merely "flattered fancy."

Gilbert recovers from his illness and resumes his friendship with Anne after learning she refused Roy Gardner. He proposes to her again and she accepts. However, they remain engaged for three years, as Gilbert intends to finish his medical course before marrying her; they correspond regularly in their time apart (Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne of Windy Poplars

Anne of Windy Poplars, also published as Anne of Windy Willows in the UK, Australia and Japan, is an epistolary novel by L. M. Montgomery. First published in 1936 by McClelland and Stewart, it details Anne Shirley's experiences over three years teaching at a high school in Summerside, Prince Edward...

), while Anne works as a principal at Summerside High School.

The two marry in Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams

Anne's House of Dreams is a novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in 1917 by McClelland, Goodchild and Stewart....

, and move to the town of Glen St. Mary, where Gilbert takes over his uncle's medical practice. He proves to be an excellent and well-respected doctor. Their married life is very happy and they have seven children: Joyce (also called Joy; died as an infant), James Matthew (Jem), Walter Cuthbert

Walter Cuthbert Blythe

Walter Cuthbert Blythe is a fictional character in the Anne of Green Gables Series, mentioned in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Ingleside , Rainbow Valley Walter Cuthbert Blythe (named after his grandfather, Walter Shirley, and his adopted grandparents, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert) is a fictional...

 (who dies during the First World War), Anne and Diana (twins; also called Nan and Di), Shirley (the youngest boy), and Bertha Marilla (called Rilla).

As the series ends, it is 1919 and they are happy; and Gilbert is fifty-five and still in love with Anne Shirley.