The Secret Garden – Whose Story is it?
Analysis of the Classic Children’s Book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Jul 30, 2009
The book introduces various characters and an interesting question to consider is: whose story is the book essentially about and who “speaks” to the reader?
The central character is Mary Lennox, a sullen, emotionally bereft child who is, paradoxically, spoilt by a wealth of material things, yet starved of basic love and nurturing. The early part of Mary’s childhood is spent in an affluent residence in colonial India, where she is waited on hand and foot by dutiful, unquestioning servants.
Mary the Orphan
Mary’s relationship with her parents is characterised by distance and aloofness – the mother and father barely know their daughter and have no real bond or emotional attachment to her. Their untimely deaths prove to be the catalyst for the main story, which unfolds because of the need to find a replacement guardian for Mary.
The themes of self-awareness, personal growth and discovery are prominent within the book, and the author draws parallels with growth and regeneration of life in nature, especially in the secret garden itself. These themes are primarily explored through Mary’s story – being shipped from one set of “absent” parents in India, to an equally detached Uncle (Mr Craven) in Yorkshire; her friendship with Dickon, the nature boy and animal charmer; her discovery of the secret garden and “magic” power of the natural world, which heals herself and the reclusive, sickly son of her benefactor.
Self-discovery and Transformation
The process of Mary’s self-discovery and transformation is particularly interesting – from a selfish, stubborn, haughty child who cares for no one other than herself, into a thoughtful, passionate girl, increasingly curious about her sense of self and the world around her; whose awakening leads to friendships, relationships and connections with other people, also hitherto lacking in emotional closeness and warmth (Colin Craven and Ben Weatherstaff). This journey takes her out of herself, yet also, further into the depths of her own psyche, down to the very roots of her being.
Similarly, the story of Colin is also significant. He, too, is shaped by a parent incapable of making an emotional commitment to a child (in this case Colin’s father, who cannot come to terms with the death of the boy’s mother). Colin is crippled by his father’s rejection of him and the ensuing loneliness, and he teeters on the brink of death for the first ten years of his life, until Mary befriends him. Her passion and newfound appetite for living awaken a defiance and sense of pride in Colin, giving him strength and eventually leading to reconciliation with his father.
Absent Parents
Although the characters of Mary and Colin are central to the book, their circumstances and personalities owe much to the existence, yet crucial absence, of their mothers. Although, Mary does not mourn the loss of the mother she never really knew, she is motivated by a desire to find kindred spirits. So, too, is Colin, who seeks to win back his father’s love and enjoy oneness with the world (p 299, “I’m going to live for ever and ever and ever”).
The story of the lost mothers (both of whom are vivacious, much loved, yet tragic, women) has great pathos and remains largely untold. However, their influence is acutely felt by Mary and Colin respectively, and the children’s shared motherlessness is a crucial aspect of their experience.
There is an interesting juxtaposition between the maternal void in Mary and Colin’s lives, and the generous mothering of Susan Sowerby, whose gentle warmth and affection has a profound effect on the children long before they meet her. This third woman provides a link to the past, and to the backdrop of circumstances that launch the story events. As such, it may be argued that she represents the third element of a triad of influence, which may hold even more compelling secrets waiting to be unlocked.
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