Ann, the story of what happened to Leslie was a moral lesson. The series is aimed at probably the under-15 crowd (at least, almost anyone I know who is a fan of it read it around 12, though of course anyone older will enjoy is as well. I've lost track of how many times I've reread them now
).
She did the right thing, even though selfishly she could have let him go on as before and make her own life easier, and was rewarded by the result.
The lesson is not even subtle. They quote the Bible once and again (something along the lines of "the truth shall set you free" - forgive me for the probable misquote, I'm not religious, and have never read the Bible in English).
So how you could possibly misintepret it, I have no idea. Perhaps you need to start taking stories at face value and stop looking for chauvinistic subtle messages in everything this world has to offer - contrary to what seems to be your belief, not everyone is out to put women in the kitchen. Especially, I daresay, a female author.
(Also, I would just like to say that, irrelevant as it is to the topic at hand, it made sense to me that a surgery could cure him - I think Gilbert said that the procedure would involve reshaping a part of the skull or somesuch to remove the pressure on the brain. Do you have a medical degree? If you do, fine. If not - again, don't rat on the books without knowing better.
.)
Furthermore, all of your claims about how Montgomery played it safe by not mentioning sex, including religious allusions and putting the woman in the role of housewife - Ann, you forget when this book was published. It was published at a time when this was the norm.
And, frankly, I think sometimes the idea that a couple loves each other and is happy together without the outright mention of sex is refreshing and beautiful. Whatever age group a book is aimed at. I think a lot of today's writers could take note (though of course this sort of content is welcome and encouraged as well in many cases <g>).
Julie
