Gilbert Blythe is one of the main characters from Anne with an E. He is a resident of Avonlea and Anne's love interest. Gilbert is portrayed by Lucas Jade Zumann.
Definition:
Gilbert has black, curly hair, hazel eyes and discreet freckles. He is of average height. Gilbert is usually seen wearing suspender pants with a shirt, vest and boots. When outdoors, he wears an Aegean hat, and has a red and black checkered coat for cold weather.
Gilbert is very intelligent. He shows a strong curiosity for the world around him, and a thirst for knowledge. Well-liked by many, he has a profound ability to empathize with others, and cares deeply about his family and friends. Respectful, well-mannered and gentle, Gilbert always lends a helping hand. He is passionate, ambitious, and determined to achieve his aspirations. Although quite playful and teasing in Season 1, he grows to be more mature and serious after his father's passing, but maintains a characteristic sense of humor. Throughout the series, Gilbert demonstrates unwavering kindness, loyalty and honesty.
Gilbert's first appearance shows him saving Anne from Billy Andrews' threats while they were on their way to school. Intrigued by this unfamiliar face, Gilbert desperately tries to gain her attention. He immediately takes a liking to her: he talks to her, despite her apparent refusal to engage in conversation, offers her an apple from his orchard, or pulls her hair and calls her "carrots", which costs him a blow to the head from Anne's chalk slate. From that point on, Gilbert and Anne start a love/hate relationship, wavering between friendship and enmity, fueled by an academic rivalry.
We later learn that Gilbert has been left to take care of his family's farm after his father fell ill. They moved to Avonlea after the passing of his mother and brothers. Gilbert's father's state deteriorates, and he eventually passes in the winter of 1896, making Gilbert an orphan and the last surviving member of his family.
Upset and disoriented by his father's death, he leaves his home, absents himself from school and works on the docks. He decides to leave Avonlea in order to discover the world before eventually returning to his hometown. Before his departure, he runs into Anne and they decide to call a truce.
Gilbert has been hired on a steamship as a coal trimmer, and meets Sebastian Lacroix, with whom he quickly becomes friends. Sebastian often teases Gilbert about his feelings for Anne, which Gilbert denies, as she and Gilbert become pen pals.
During a stopover at Trinidad, Sebastian's country, Gilbert discovers Trinidadian food and scenery. He also witnesses firsthand the racism that Sebastian is often faced with, which will reoccur throughout the series. While exploring Trinidad, they stumble upon a woman in labor. Realizing it is too late to wait for a doctor, Gilbert delivers her baby, aided by his experience with delivering farm animals. This life-changing encounter steers Gilbert towards his destiny and ambition: to become a doctor.
Establishing he had seen enough, Gilbert prepares to return to Avonlea. He offers for Sebastian to come help him with his farm, in exchange for shelter and stability, which Sebastian accepts. Both make their way to Prince Edward Island, and Sebastian settles into Gilbert's father's old room. At Christmastime, Gilbert and Bash are invited to dinner by the Cuthberts. Gilbert gives Anne a small thumb dictionary as a Christmas gift, with a note in it referencing their spelling competitions. Once back in school, Gilbert asks for assistance from his teacher, Mr. Phillips, in order to help him pass the exams for medical school entrance, who disagreeably refuses.
Later, Gilbert brings Sebastian to see a doctor, Dr. Ward, in Charlottetown for a toothache. After treatment, Gilbert asks Dr. Ward for an apprenticeship, and Dr. Ward gladly agrees to teach Gilbert. Starting from there, and during the following year, Gilbert will go to Charlottetown every weekend for his apprenticeship with Dr. Ward.
With Mr. Philips gone, Miss Stacy, the new teacher, agrees to help Gilbert with his entrance exams, and he decides to accelerate his studies, which means he will graduate from school one year early. This creates a conflict of interest with Sebastian concerning work the farm, and animosity with a competitive Anne, jealous of Gilbert's progress in the pursuit of his ambition and at the prospect of his early graduation. Conflicted and ashamed, Gilbert decides to stay true to his word and drops the plan to accelerate his studies, in order to support Sebastian.
Towards the end of the season, Gilbert joins the students in an effort to save Miss Stacy from her removal, which proves to be successful. After Sebastian and Mary's wedding, Gilbert and Anne converse and he announces his intention to stay in Avonlea as planned, before Anne declares she has found her vocation, which resolve their tension and conflict.
