How Does Gilbert Blythe Die In Anne Of Green Gables?

Loved their banter in Anne of Avonlea—heartbroken to find out he's gone later. Did Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels ever directly show his death or is it off-page?
2026-04-11 01:39:15
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8 Answers

Best Answer
Orevaoghene Ukor
Orevaoghene Ukor
For those who want to know how things worked out for Gilbert and Anne in the original 'Anne of Green Gables' series by L.M. Montgomery, I can tell you that Gilbert Blythe lived a full life with Anne, became a doctor, and had kids. It was such a wonderful, complete character arc for them. 'Never to Meet Again' is a completely different kind of story to explore the 'what if' scenario of two very beloved characters never getting their dream come true. Instead, this novel imagines a scenario where two soulmates are doomed to keep finding each other and then losing each other time and again, throughout their respective lifetimes. Such a fate-driven, yearning-filled storyline is very different from Montgomery's work, and I found it to be very poignant.
2026-08-05
Oliver
Oliver
The rumor that Gilbert Blythe dies in the novels is one of those strange fanfiction myths that actually has been floating around for years. In reality, in all the books that Montgomery wrote, Gilbert never dies. In ‘Anne of the Island’ he contracts typhoid in addition to declaring his feelings to Anne of Green Gables. In ‘Rilla of Ingleside’ he comes down with a dreadful case of scarlet fever while tending to other patients with the disease in WWI. It’s possible that people believe he dies because his vulnerabilities create such strong plot points and scenes throughout the novels. As Montgomery wrote her characters through hardships, she generally managed to give them happy endings to their troubles. The struggles of the people of Avonlea to grow and prosper mirror Gilbert’s own struggles to grow and prosper, and it is his strength and resilience that allows him to keep planting marigolds even when life has tried to knock him down.
2026-04-13
Kate
Kate
I had sort of forgotten that Gilbert had died, until I re-read the books last summer. The illnesses that Montgomery gives Gilbert are far more significant than any death would be. The first time we see Gilbert ill is in ‘Anne of the Island’ when he contracts typhoid fever. The part where Anne sits by his bedside, and he is delirious and declaring his love for her, always gets me a bit (the little watch ticking on the table seemed like a living thing). The second time Gilbert is near death from illness is in ‘Rilla’ decades later as a middle-aged doctor fighting to save the lives of his patients during war. The parallel between the young lover fighting for the love of Anne and the mature doctor fighting to save lives is incredibly powerful. What I remember about those scenes is that the illnesses mark two stages of Gilbert’s growth as a man: from a lovestruck boy to a full and compassionate man. The 1934 film adaptation of Anne of Green Gables is totally to be avoided by anyone who wants to avoid confusing their viewers about Gilbert’s death. In that version he dies in a completely fictional scene.
2026-04-13
Bella
Bella
I just re-read ‘Anne of Green Gables’ after many years and was completely unaware of the fate of Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s lover in the series. In fact, he survives the entire series and marries Anne in the final book. However, in ‘Rilla of Ingleside’, set during WWI, Gilbert contracts scarlet fever while serving as a doctor in the trenches. The author does an excellent job of depicting his struggle with the disease and I found myself clutching the pages, hoping he would recover. What is most notable, however, is the change in Gilbert after his near-death experience. He is no longer the carefree young man that he once was. Instead, he carries the weight of his brush with death with him. The series beautifully conveys the impact of war, even in the happy stories.

However, this is a persistent rumor, perhaps propagated by a 1985 TV movie adaptation where Gilbert Blythe is shown to be at death’s door only to recover. Perhaps this movie caused people to falsely recall Gilbert’s demise in the books? As it is, however, Gilbert does get a fully fleshed out life, complete with children who go off to war in Rilla of Ingleside. Bittersweet, but also perfect for Montgomery’s overarching themes of the human experience.
2026-04-14
Micah
Micah
There is a rumor going around that Gilbert Blythe dies in the Anne series, but that is not true. In fact, the most anxious moment that I can think of for Gilbert was when he delivered a baby in a storm in Anne’s House of Dreams. He marries Anne, becomes the father of a little girl, and serves as a medical officer in WWI. The persistent rumors of Gilbert’s death come from his many near-misses with disease, war, and even drowning in a bath tub in the 1985 TV mini-series version of the books. I did find his near-miss of death in Rilla of Ingleside to be rather heart-wrenching, however, because by that time he was such a wonderful husband and father to his family. Montgomery must have the greatest skill at almost killing off her favorite characters, but then sparing them. Maybe Gilbert was saved to remain the rock of support for Anne in her many adventures.
2026-04-17
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This is a confession that serves the theme of “kindred spirits.” Anne in search of kindred spirits in these books. Gilbert’s confession is the ultimate proof that he is her kindred spirit. He understands her dreams and her temper and her high intelligence and her soul. “I love you” is a shorthand expression which means, “I see you, all of you, and I choose you as my kindred spirit for life.” The romantic confession of Anne’s lifelong search for a true understanding other half, her companion and lover.

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Audible users will note the extreme difference in narrator tone for whimsical mishaps in Avonlea vs. raw emotion of the proposal scene in The Island. These are two vastly different periods of life, for Anne and otherwise. Here, her voice is super bright with occasional annoyed snippets; in The Island, her voice is utterly complex, full of confusion, regret, and increasing maturity as she slowly comes to terms with things. You cannot achieve this evolution of vocal and emotional complexity were the two books to be reduced to a single, merged timeline. The structural separation of the two books is key.
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