Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a classic of children's literature. The book was such a success that Porter soon produced a sequel, Pollyanna Grows Up (1915). Eleven more Pollyanna sequels, known as "Glad Books", were later published, most of them written by Elizabeth Borton or Harriet Lummis Smith. Further sequels followed, the most recent of which, Pollyanna Plays the Game by Colleen L. Reece, appeared as recently as the mid-1990s. Pollyanna is Northstars sophomore and final release. ... Eleanor H. Porter Eleanor Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Childrens books redirects here. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN redirects here. ... Pollyanna Grows Up is a 1915 childrens novel by Eleanor H. Porter. ... See also: 1912 in literature, other events of 1913, 1914 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Eleanor H. Porter Eleanor Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist. ... Childrens books redirects here. ... Pollyanna Grows Up is a 1915 childrens novel by Eleanor H. Porter. ...

Pollyanna has been adapted for film several times. The best-known is Disney's 1960 version starring child actress Hayley Mills, who won a special Oscar for the role, and was thereby catapulted to stardom. Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an English actress. ... OSCAR is an acronym for Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. ...

Plot introduction

The title character is Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphan who goes to live in Beldingsville, Vermont with her wealthy but dour Aunt Polly. Pollyanna's philosophy of life centers on what she calls "The Glad Game", an optimistic attitude she learned from her father. It originated when Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the missionary barrel, finds only a pair of crutches. Making the game up on the spot, Pollyanna's father taught her to look at the good side of things— to be "Glad for we don't need to use these". For other uses, see Orphan (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Glad Game is a game for the optimist. ...

Consequently, Pollyanna always tries to find something to be glad about in every situation, and to always do without delay whatever she thinks is right. With this philosophy, and her own sunny personality, she becomes known as "The Glad Girl", and brings so much gladness to her aunt's dispirited New England town that she transforms it into a pleasant, healthy place to live.

Eventually, however, even Pollyanna's robust optimism is put to the test when she gets hit by a car and loses the use of her legs.

The novel's influence

"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will."—Abraham Lincoln
   (Inscription on Pollyanna's brooch, a gift from her father)

Despite mixed perceptions of its literary merit, Pollyanna has proved to be both enduringly popular and, in unexpected ways, influential.

The novel's success brought the term "pollyanna" (along with the adjective "pollyannaish" and the noun "Pollyannaism") into the language to describe someone who is cheerfully optimistic and who always maintains a generous attitude toward the motives of other people. It also became, by extension – and contrary to the spirit of the book – a derogatory term for a naïve optimist who always expects people to act decently, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

The word "pollyanna" may also denote a holiday gift exchange more typically known as Secret Santa. This term is used in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas of Pennsylvania. It can instead mean a gift exchange rotation in which several families each give gifts to one other family in the "pollyanna" each year. This is often done when siblings in a large family begin to have children of their own.^[1] Secret Santa, sometimes referred to as Pollyanna, Kris Kindle or Kris Kringle, is a Christmas ritual involving a group of people exchanging anonymous gifts. ... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Look up Family in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Pollyanna is still available in reprint editions. At the height of her popularity, Pollyanna was known as "The Glad Girl", and Parker Brothers even created The Glad Game, a board game based on the book and character. The Glad Game, a type of Parcheesi, was made and sold from 1915 to 1967 in various versions, including: "Pollyanna - The Glad Game"; "Pollyanna - The Great Home Game"; "Pollyanna - Dixie"; and "Pollyanna". The board game was later licensed by Milton Bradley but has been discontinued for many years. The Parker Brothers logo. ... The Glad Game is a game for the optimist. ... Parcheesi is an American adaptation of the Indian Cross and Circle game Pachisi. ... Milton Bradley (1836 - 1911) was a game pioneer, credited by many with launching the game industry in North America. ...

"Glad Clubs" appear to have been popular for a while; however, it is questionable if they were ever more than a publicity gimmick. The Glad Clubs may have been simply a means to popularise the use of The Glad Game as a method for coping with the vicissitudes of life — loss, disappointment, and distress.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, at least one "glad club" exists today, in Denver, Colorado.^[2] This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ...

In 2002, the citizens of Littleton, New Hampshire unveiled a bronze statue in honour of Eleanor H. Porter, one of the town's most famous residents. The statue depicts a smiling Pollyanna, arms flung wide in greeting. Littleton also hosts a festival known as "The Official Pollyanna Glad Day" every summer.^[3] Littleton is a town located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. ...

List of Pollyanna Books

The Glad Books

• Porter, Eleanor H.
  Pollyanna: The First Glad Book
  Pollyanna Grows Up: The Second Glad Book

• Smith, Harriet Lummis
  Pollyanna of the Orange Blossoms: The Third Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Jewels: The Fourth Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Debt of Honor: The Fifth Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Western Adventure: The Sixth Glad Book

• Borton, Elizabeth
  Pollyanna in Hollywood: The Seventh Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Castle in Mexico: The Eighth Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Door to Happiness: The Ninth Glad Book
  Pollyanna's Golden Horseshoe: The Tenth Glad Book
  Pollyanna and the Secret Mission: The Fourteenth Glad Book [written out of sequence]

• Chalmers, Margaret Piper
  Pollyanna's Protegee: The Eleventh Glad Book

• Moffitt, Virginia May
  Pollyanna at Six Star Ranch: The Twelfth Glad Book
  Pollyanna of Magic Valley: The Thirteenth Glad Book

Eleanor Hodgeman Porter (December 19, 1868 - May 21, 1920) was a U.S. novelist. ...

Further sequels:

• Reece, Colleen L.
  Pollyanna Comes Home
  Pollyanna Plays the Game

Adaptations

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Pollyanna has been filmed several times. Most notably, there was a 1920 silent movie starring Mary Pickford, and a Walt Disney film released in 1960 starring English actress Hayley Mills in the title role ( which made her a Hollywood star and led to a Disney contract). The 1960 film was shot at the McDonald Mansion (aka Mableton Mansion) on McDonald Avenue in what was then the small town of Santa Rosa, California. See also: 1919 in film 1920 1921 in film 1920s in film years in film film Events November 28 - The Mask of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. ... This article is about the comedy film. ... Mary Pickford (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979) was an Oscar-winning Canadian motion picture star and co-founder of United Artists in 1919. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an English actress. ... Location in Sonoma County and the state of California Country State County Sonoma Area  - City 40. ...

There have also been several TV adaptations of the novel. The most recent, originally broadcast in 2003 on ITV, starred Georgina Terry as Pollyanna and Amanda Burton as Aunt Polly. Nippon Animation of Japan released Ai Shoujo Pollyanna Monogatari (The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love), a one-episode anime TV series that made up the 1926 installment of the studio's World Masterpiece Theater, and had famous singer Mitsuko Horie playing the role of Pollyanna. There was also a modernized version with an African-American cast entitled Polly, which later had a sequel (Polly: Coming Home to Roost) See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... Parkinson, Burton and Grant in 2001 This article is about the actress. ... Nippon Animation logo. ... Ai Shoujo Pollyanna Monogatari (愛少女ポリアンナ物語 , Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love) is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Mitsuko Horie ) is a Japanese seiyū and singer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

1960 film

The 1960 film was a major hit for the Disney Studios, and gave a tremendous boost to the career of Hayley Mills. It also marked the last film appearance of noted Hollywood actor Adolphe Menjou, who played the hermit-like Mr. Pendergast, who is eventually brought out of his shell by Pollyanna and her friend Jimmy. Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor of French and Irish descent. ...

The film was quite faithful to the novel. One marked difference from the book (and the 1920 silent version with Mary Pickford) was the treatment of Pollyanna's accident. Originally, she is paralysed when she is hit by a car, while in the Disney film, the accident occurs because she is sneaking home from a local festival she has been forbidden to attend, and falls when she tries to re-enter her room by climbing the tree outside her bedroom window.

Cast list

Jane Wyman and Hayley Mills starred in the 1960 film Pollyanna.

• Hayley Mills as Pollyanna
• Jane Wyman as Aunt Polly
• Richard Egan as Dr. Edmond Chilton
• Karl Malden as Reverend Paul Ford
• Nancy Olson as Nancy Furman
• Adolphe Menjou as Mr Pendergast
• Donald Crisp as Mayor Karl Warren
• Agnes Moorehead as Mrs Snow
• Kevin Corcoran as Jimmy Bean
• James Drury as George Dodds
• Reta Shaw as Tillie Lagerlof
• Leora Dana as Mrs Paul Ford
• Anne Seymour as Mrs Amelia Tarbell
• Edward Platt as Ben Tarbell
• Mary Grace Canfield as Angelica
• Jenny Egan as Mildred Snow
• Gage Clarke as Mr Murg
• Ian Wolfe as Mr Neely
• Nolan Leary as Mr Thomas
• Edgar Dearing as Mr Gorman

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References in popular culture

• In a song by The Kinks, "Pretty Polly"
• In an episode of NPR's Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, host Peter Sagal refers to Dick Cheney as being a "Pollyanna with a pacemaker".
• Pollyanna principle
• Polyanna is the second album by the band Northstar.
• Paul Reubens, in the DVD commentary for Pee Wee's Big Adventure, stated that he originally intended Big Adventure to be a retelling of the Disney movie with his Pee Wee Herman character in the Hayley Mills role.
• Pollyanna appears alongside Alice Liddell, as well as Dorothy Gale, Wendy Darling and Susan Pevensie, as a 2005 and 2006-based college student in the comic The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles, where she has decided to take up regular jogging. She is also currently unlucky regarding gaining employment.
• In Sex and the City, Carrie refers to Charlotte as a "Park Avenue Pollyanna".
• In Six Feet Under (Rainbow of her Reasons [5.6]), Keith nicknames David "Miss Pollyanna" after he offers a Playstation to his adopted kids so that they can have fun and enjoy themselves. "Everything is about fun with you", comments Keith.
• In the second issue of the first volume of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Pollyanna appears as a character who has been "mishandled" by the Invisible Man. In spite of this, she still determines to remain upbeat. Pollyanna's appearance is at odds with internal chronology, considering LoEG occurs in 1898. Pollyanna was not born until 1901, being eleven in 1912.
• In the recent commercial advertising campaign for the Texas Instruments DLP [1] televisions, the "Its the mirrors" scene is used. In fact, the line has been officially adopted as the tag line for the advertising campaign.
• Alanis Morissette Has a song called "Pollyanna Flower"
• Larry Tagg has a song "Oh, Pollyanna" off his "With a Skeleton Crew" album which he describes as "a bitter song"
• Erma Bombeck once used the line "Oh, quit being such a Pollyanna" in her humor column.
• In Sylvia Plath's novel The Bell Jar, a pleasant, cheery Midwestern farm girl is referred to repeatedly as "Pollyanna Cowgirl" by a more worldly friend.
• "Pollyanna" is a song from the video game Mother and the tune is also a prevalent theme in its popular sequel EarthBound.
• "Pollyanna" is a 90's indie guitar 3 piece from Melbourne, Australia.

The Kinks were an English rock group formed in 1963 by lead singer-songwriter Ray Davies, his brother, lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Davies, and bassist Pete Quaife. ... NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ... Wait Wait. ... Peter Sagal, NPR Peter Sagal is an American playwright, screenwriter, actor, and host of the National Public Radio game show Wait Wait. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... The Pollyanna principle or Pollyannaism describes the tendency for people to agree with positive statements describing them. ... Paul Reubens (born Paul Rubenfeld on August 27, 1952) is an American actor, writer, and comedian, known professionally for his character Pee-wee Herman. ... Pee-wees Big Adventure is a 1985 film directed by Tim Burton and written by Paul Reubens, Phil Hartman, and Michael Varhol. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee in Pee-wees Big Adventure. ... Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born April 18, 1946) is an English actress. ... Alice Pleasance Liddell (May 4, 1852 – November 15, 1934) was the inspiration for childrens classic Alices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. ... For the Doctor Who character, see Ace (Doctor Who). ... Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional heroine and main female protagonist in the Peter Pan stories by J.M. Barrie, in all their theatrical, literary, and motion picture adaptations. ... Susan Pevensie is one of the major characters in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series. ... Sex and the City is a popular American cable television program. ... For the death metal band, see Six Feet Under (band). ... Promotional still for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin ONeill, published under the Americas Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Erma Louise (Harris) Bombeck (February 21, 1927 - April 22, 1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for a newspaper column that depicted suburban home life in the second half of the 20th century. ... Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. ... The Bell Jar is American writer Sylvia Plaths only novel, which was originally published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas in 1963. ... Mother ), often referred to as Earth Bound or NES Earth Bound outside of Japan, was a game released only in Japan for the Famicom (FC). ... EarthBound, released in Japan as MOTHER 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushū! , lit. ...

Notes

1. "Pollyanna" as a gift exchange discussed at Worldwidewords.org.
2. A description of the Pollyanna Glad Days and the Pollyanna sculpture in Littleton, New Hampshire.

See also

Three more children's classics that feature a young paraplegic who learns to walk again: Paraplegia is an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of the lower extremities. ...

• What Katy Did
• The Secret Garden
• Heidi

What Katy Did is a childrens book written by Susan Coolidge, the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. ... For other uses, see Secret Garden (disambiguation). ... For the pop singer, see Heidi Range. ...

References

Further reading

• Keith, Lois. Take Up Thy Bed and Walk: Death, Disability and Cure in Classic Fiction for Girls. Routledge: 2001.

External links

• Pollyanna, available at Project Gutenberg.
• Pollyanna, online at Ye Olde Library
• Free online version of Pollyanna at LiteraturePage.com
• Publication history, a brief plot summary, and biographical information about the author compiled by the University of Illinois School of Library and Information Science.
• Polyanna (1915 board game) at BoardGameGeek
• Pollyanna (1920 Silent Film) at the Internet Movie Database
• Pollyanna (1960) at the Internet Movie Database
• Pollyanna (1973 TV-movie) at the Internet Movie Database
• Pollyanna (2003 TV-movie) at the Internet Movie Database
• Pollyanna (1960) at UltimateDisney.com