The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnetts - 1601 Words

Within Frances Hodgson Burnetts ‘The Secret Garden’ nurture is explored through the young protagonist, Mary Lennox, and the image of the garden itself. Through the image of the garden, nurture can be seen through its growth as well as its symbolism of motherhood. Although, the more obvious portrayal of how significant nurture is can be seen through the attitude of the protagonist and her journey from India to Yorkshire, and the events that unfold. Throughout this essay I will explore the results of poor nurture from the research of psychoanalysis, John Bowlby (Holmes, 1993) as well as critical views on the representation of males and females in children’s literature in the 19th century ([Rose, 1984], [Rousseau, 1762], [Gerzina, 2006])†¦show more content†¦John Bowlby, psychoanalysis, generated his own theory of attachment (DATE). Delving into the kind of attachment a child has with their parents, as well as their primary care-giver. Through his research â€Å"Bowlby identified protest as the primary response produced in children by separation from their parents† (Holmes, 1993. Pg., 72). This protest is absent within the novels protagonist, therefore showing that she was not around her parents long enough to make a secure attachment, however, an explanation for Mary’s attachment can be described as ‘insecure avoidant’, this is where (Holmes, 1993. Pg., 79) â€Å"The child attempts to minimise needs for attachment in order to forestall rebuff, while at the same time remaining in distant contact with the care-giver† – This can be seen through her disassociation with other people, as well as her lack of interest in playing. â€Å"I don’t want boys! Go away!† (Burnett and Gerzina, 2006. Pg., 7). Avoiding engagement with those around her suggests an aversion to attachments, not wanting to create a bond as, from what can be seen in the novel, she has never had a form of friendship in her life. It can also be said that if a child has never known attachment, this will stick with them throughout their life, making it difficult for them to form any bond, solely because they have never known how to do so. This can be seen duringShow MoreRelatedThe Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett1306 Words   |  6 Pages The Secret Garden is a classic English novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It tells the story of a young girl named Mary, a spoiled child brought up in India by her mother and father. When the cholera outbreak claims Mary s parents, she is sent to England to live with her uncle; wherein a spectacular collection of events leads her life in a direction she never imagined. The novel is set in the late 1800’s in Yorkshire, England with an orphaned Mary arriving from India. Here, MaryRead More The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Essay563 Words   |  3 PagesThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The book, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is about a little girl named Mary who discovers a garden that had been kept a secret for a very long time. After Mary became an orphan, she was forced to move in with her uncle, Mr. Craven, who is a very busy businessman and lives in a very big house. At that time Mary was a depressed girl who disagreed with everybody and wanted to live in her own world. She, however, is a very curious girlRead MoreThe Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett Essay examples902 Words   |  4 Pages The Secret Garden The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was first published in 1910, tells a unique story about a 10 year old little girl Mary Lennox. The story goes through the transformation of main character Mary, Colin and the locked secret garden. Burnett uses many symbols during the process of these transformations. The power of nature is also presented as a magic in the story. The novel uses symbols to present different motifs like parallel lives ofRead MoreThe Importance of Companionship in The Secret Garden by France Hodgson Burnett732 Words   |  3 PagesThe book, â€Å"The Secret Garden† by France Hodgson Burnett is a wonderful fiction classic. The book contains 279 pages of one of Burnett’s work of arts. You will be amazed by the change that happens throughout the book. The story, â€Å"The Secret Garden starts off at the main character, Mary Lennox’s house in India. She lives there with her mother and father. Her father is an army captain who she hardly ever sees and her mother is a beautiful woman who doesn’t want anything to do with her daughter. MaryRead MoreThe Theme Of Happiness In The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett1992 Words   |  8 PagesI feel represent the theme of Happiness in The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Happiness is expressed in a number of ways, many of which the characters do not know about. I chose to focus on this theme because I felt it was the most prominent and important in the story, and that the characters go through a great deal of development while experiencing it. Chapter One: There is No One Else â€Å"Mistress Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, andRead MoreThe Author who Is Frances Hodgson Burnett Essay893 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the late nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, Frances Hodgson Burnett stood apart from the astounding writers surfacing in Britain. She was most greatly recognized for the romantic themes that were woven delicately into her enchanting stories and her ability to portray spoiled stubborn children as strong heroic characters, which were greatly inspired by a lonely and sufferable childhood. â€Å"Burnett had an ability to recapture universal aspects of childhood and transformRead MoreThe Secret Garden Theme Analysis928 Words   |  4 Pages The Secret Garden Theme â€Å"My parents always thought about themselves, never about me.† This is a quote from Mary Lennox, who is the protagonist of The Secret Garden. This quote was one of the things that led to the main conflict of the movie. Mary’s parents die in India, and her parents never really paid any attention to her. She came out to be an emotionless girl. After her parents died she was sent to England, where she found that her familyRead MoreEssay about Comparing the Book and Movie Version of The Secret Garden652 Words   |  3 PagesThe Secret Garden: Book vs. Movie The Secret Garden is a film based on Frances Hodgson Burnetts classic childrens book bearing the same title. This movie is about a young girl who is literally shipped off to her uncles English castle after her parents are killed in an earthquake. The main character, Mary, is played by Kate Maberly. She is tossed into a world where sunlight and cheerful discourse seem as rare as the attention she receives from the sour-pussed housekeeper Medlock, played byRead MoreAnalysis Of Frances Hodgson Burnetts The Secret Garden1179 Words   |  5 Pages ¨The secret garden is always open now. If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden,† Mary states. In Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden, the theme was that you need to open up your heart to achieve happiness. Mary, Collin, Lord Craven, and Medlock all needed to learn one common thing, that they need to be able to open their hearts in order for them to be happy, which is what they all want. Mary, the protagonist and antagonist of this person versus self conflictRead MoreThe Secret Garden By Francis Hodgson Burnett1902 Words   |  8 Pagesa key role in the story The Secret Garden. In the story, Mary Lennox is an Indian high class girl with unfair skin whose parents who assigned a Nanny to address her every day need because her mother was not willing to and did not want her at all. After cholera killed most of the servants, her nanny and parents, her uncle Mr. Archibald takes her in and assigns her a servant to take care of her just like he does to his son Colin who is illed. After opening a hidden garden, Mary starts changing and with