Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

A best-seller and timeless classic, Eleanor H. Porter’s Pollyanna is a wonderful book. No matter the age or situation, its message is universally applicable. The storyline and array of characters make it a satisfying and gripping read. The story follows the tumultuous life of a young orphan, Pollyanna Whittier, who, despite hardships, is cheerful and sunny. Always seeing the positive in a situation, her warm presence deeply impacts the lives of all those around her.

Orphaned, Pollyanna goes to live with her cold, spinster Aunt, Polly Harrington, who views Pollyanna as a burden of familial duty. In the dispirited fictional town of Belingsville, Vermont, Pollyanna is introduced to various characters, each with their own struggle. Mrs. Snow, a resigned invalid, Mr. Pendleton, a miserly, prickly bachelor, and even the rigid, lonely Aunt Polly eventually warm up to Pollyanna’s antics, finding solace in their lives.

Pollyanna’s unfailingly optimistic approach toward life is set in what she calls the “Glad game”. The game’s premise is finding the good even in the worst situations, taught to her by her father when she wanted a doll but got crutches instead from the missionary barrel at Christmas. Her father, telling her that she should be glad she does not need them, quickly created it into a game of turning even the most dire circumstances into happy ones.

The book’s underlying theme is the significance of perception and how a shift can be almost miraculous in one’s life. Pollyanna is a symbol of hope and light, as she instigates this change in all those in her orbit. The once dull Beldingsville metamorphosizes into a merry and happy place, as its residents seek their happiness as a reaction to Pollyanna.

Pollyanna was extremely successful, to the point where Porter and other authors wrote up to 12 sequels for it, which were published as “Glad Books”. There are also multiple movie adaptations made for this book, the most well-known one winning an Oscar. Pollyanna was initially published by LC Page, and now it is published by Wonder House in India for a retail price of two hundred and fifty rupees. It is a must-read in today’s times, where anxiety and stress and daily companions. The book can cause a paradigm shift in one’s mindset, and therein lead to improved quality of life as well. I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5. 

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