'Just like a man': A project continuing L.M. Montgomery’s subtle gender activism through the arts

Abstract

<p>There is a long history of utilising various facets of the arts in peace activism. Writing in Canada at the fin de siècle, author L.M. Montgomery's work contains numerous examples of her gender activism with her creation of peaceful societies for her female protagonists. As this was a time when women were not free to openly express dissatisfaction with their role in society, the arts were a method by which they could subtly share their views. While several authors consider Montgomery's subversive views on gender, few authors involve arts practice as part of their research. This paper will investigate Montgomery's building of strong, supportive female communities in her Anne series of novels. I will continue the culture of utilising creative arts to explore these gender dynamics by using an arts-based methodology to identify themes in Montgomery's work, resulting in a new musical composition that articulates the gender struggle. This work exemplifies how responding to gender dynamics through art continues, well beyond Montgomery's era, to provide a peaceful form of gender-based activism.</p>