Eleanor H. Porter
Eleanor H. Porter (1868-1920) was an American author best known for her novel "Pollyanna," published in 1913, which introduced the iconic character of an optimistic orphan who encourages those around her to find joy in every situation. Born in Littleton, New Hampshire, Porter pursued her passion for music before embarking on a writing career that began in 1901, initially publishing short stories under the pseudonym Eleanor Stewart. Her early novels, including "Cross Currents" (1907) and "Just David" (1916), gained recognition, but none matched the widespread appeal of "Pollyanna," which underwent forty-seven printings during her lifetime.
The story was serialized in the "Christian Herald" before its book release and became famous for its "glad game," where Pollyanna's cheerful outlook influences her aunt and the townspeople around her. Porter continued to explore themes of orphans and the transformative power of positivity in her work, though her perspective has been viewed as overly optimistic in contemporary interpretations. After her passing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1920, the legacy of "Pollyanna" endured, inspiring subsequent authors and adaptations. Porter's contributions to literature reflect a belief in the redemptive qualities of love and cheerfulness, making her a notable figure in early 20th-century American fiction.
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Eleanor H. Porter
Author
- Born: December 19, 1868
- Birthplace: Littleton, New Hampshire
- Died: May 21, 1920
- Place of death: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Biography
Eleanor H. Porter was born on December 19, 1868, in Littleton, New Hampshire. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and worked as a choir and concert singer before marrying Boston businessman John Lyman Porter in 1892. They lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Porter began her writing career in 1901, writing short stories published in popular women’s magazines under the pseudonym Eleanor Stewart. Her first novel, Cross Currents (1907), and two later novels, Miss Billy (1911) and Just David (1916), sold remarkably well, but pale in comparison to Pollyanna, which underwent forty-seven printings in her lifetime. Originally printed as a serial in the Christian Herald, Pollyanna was published as a book in 1913. It introduces the orphan who transforms both her aunt’s home and town by finding something to be glad about in any situation. Though naïve, Pollyanna is not foolishly blind to reality. Instead she insightfully recognizes that the affluent adults surrounding her do nothing but grumble. Voicing her observations startles the adults into a new perspective. After she is seriously injured, however, Pollyanna is unable to play this “glad game” she has created, until she learns the whole town is playing it. In the sequel, Pollyana Grows Up, published in 1914, Pollyanna moves to Boston, but she finds the game does not transform those living in the poverty of Boston’s North End as it had in her aunt’s village.
After Porter’s death in Cambridge on May 21, 1920, other writers continued the Pollyanna series, including Harriet L. Smith. Porter’s short stories, which she continued to write throughout her career, were also collected and published after her death. While most known for the wildly popular Pollyana character, Porter’s books often focused on orphans and express her belief that cheerfulness, love, and generosity are saving graces. Porter’s books demonstrate how a positive attitude can work wonders and make unresolved problems more bearable. Although popular in its time, this philosophy now seems blindly optimistic and unconvincing.