Anne's Imagination and Social Proof

One thing I have noticed about Anne's devoted fans, is that they tend to identify with her crazy imagination. This obviously leads to a huge group of people that are daydreamers. People who live in fantasy of worlds of their own. People who are inspired one moment, and then move on to the next thing they can't live without in the next. Exactly like Anne. I know this, because I am just like her. However, this daydream-y attitude does NOT lead to a lot of feedback with social proof. Ok. Maybe I am exaggerating. But I have had difficulty getting people to respond. This does not mean that their ideas and numerous sources haven't inspired me and my theories though.

So far I have been contacting people and posting questions about Anne of Green Gables on facebook, with a little feedback. It seems everyone "likes" my ideas, but it has been difficult engaging any one person in a lengthy conversation about this topic. However, I have had a little more success by commenting on fan reviews of Anne of Green Gables on Goodreads. The fans there have many interesting ideas about Anne's character. 

The best resource I have found has been the many, many blogs dedicated not only to Anne of Green Gables, but also to the topic of imagination within the blogging atmosphere. Their ideas have influenced my own theories about my topic of choice. I have emailed Janga, The Anne of Green Gables and L.M. Montgomery Lexicon, and Darcy Cowan, directly about the ideas they blog about, and am hoping for some responses!

Right now I am working up the courage to contact some experts on the topic. They are:

• Paul W. Martin- An English Professor who teaches Canadian Literature with an emphasis on women characters and their roles throughout their books. 
• J.T Barbarese- An English Professor who teaches Anne of Green Gables as part of a romantic modern literature class. 
• Nancy McCabe- Is a Professor and a Director of a writing program. She also writes literary reviews and articles. 
• Victoria Nash- An enthusiastic blogger who writes about Anne of Green Gables and imagination vs reality. 

While Social proof has been difficult, it definitely has been a rewarding learning experience. The little feedback I have had among family, friends, and social networks has helped me narrow down my ideas. When I first began thinking about topics for my paper, I had too many ideas whirling around in my head. It wasn't until I was inspired by the many blogs and syllabus (Syllabi?) that I finally discovered what interested me within the many topics of Anne of Green Gables.