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Learn about the plot, characters, and themes of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic novel The Secret Garden. Follow Mary Lennox, Colin Craven, and Dickon Sowerby as they discover the magic of the secret garden and heal each other's wounds.
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Learn about the plot, themes, and characters of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's novel, The Secret Garden. Find out how Mary Lennox, Colin Craven, and Dickon Sowerby discover the healing power of friendship and nature in a hidden garden.
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The Secret Garden, novel for children written by American author Frances Hodgson Burnett and published in book form in 1911 (having previously been serialized in The American Magazine). The pastoral story of self-healing became a classic of children’s literature and is considered to be among Burnett’s best work.
The novel centres on Mary Lennox, who is living in India with her wealthy British family. She is a selfish and disagreeable 10-year-old girl who has been spoiled by her servants and neglected by her unloving parents. When a cholera epidemic kills her parents and the servants, Mary is orphaned. After a brief stay with the family of an English clergyman, she is sent to England to live with a widowed uncle, Archibald Craven, at his huge Yorkshire estate, Misselthwaite Manor. Her uncle is rarely at Misselthwaite, however. Mary is brought to the estate by the head housekeeper, the fastidious Mrs. Medlock, who shuts her into a room and tells her not to explore the house.
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Mary is put off when she finds that the chambermaid, Martha, is not as servile as the servants in India. But she is intrigued by Martha’s stories about her own family, particularly those about her 12-year-old brother, Dickon, who has a nearly magical way with animals. When Martha mentions the late Mrs. Craven’s walled garden, which was locked 10 years earlier by the uncle upon his wife’s death, Mary is determined to find it. She spends the next few weeks wandering the grounds and talking to the elderly gardener, Ben Weatherstaff. One day, while following a friendly robin, Mary discovers an old key that she thinks may open the locked garden. Shortly thereafter, she spots the door in the garden wall, and she lets herself into the secret garden. She finds that it is overgrown with dormant rose bushes and vines (it is winter), but she spots some green shoots, and she begins clearing and weeding in that area.
This tale of transformation is an exaltation of nature and its effects on the human spirit. The physical and spiritual healing that Mary and Colin experience in the garden is mirrored in the seasons: it is winter when Mary discovers the garden; they begin working in spring and fully recover in summer; and Archibald Craven returns to find his son and the garden both healthy in the fall. In addition, Burnett’s interest in the theories of Christian Science and theosophy are reflected in the way that the children are healed, not only through contact with nature and with each other but also through positive thinking.
The Secret Garden was adapted for screen, television, and stage. The British Broadcasting Corporation aired three popular television adaptations (1952, 1960, and 1975). Notable film versions were produced in 1949 and in 1993 (with Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock), and the story was performed as a Broadway musical (1991–93).
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The Secret Garden study guide contains a biography of Frances Hodgson Burnett, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes.
The Secret Garden is a children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in The American Magazine (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is seen as a classic of English children's literature.
From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes The Secret Garden Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
Learn about the plot, themes, and characters of The Secret Garden, a classic middle-grade novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Find out how Mary, Colin, and Dickon discover the magic of a hidden garden and heal each other.
