Characters: Mary, Mrs. Medlock, Mary’s father, Mary’s mother, Susan, Martha, Dickens, Dr. Craven, Mr, Craven, Colin, Nurse, Ben Weathersaff, Robin, Dickens creatures.
Setting: 20th century, in England
Plot: Mary was very sour, but she softened when she got interested in the garden that hadn’t been opened for years. When she found it, she told her friends, which helped them find joy and the meaning of life.
Perspective: third person
Genre: Children’s novel
The story The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, talks about a little girl named Mary living in her uncle’s house. Mary was a very sour girl because her parents didn’t want her. They died in India, and Mary was sent to her uncle Craven. His house has a very big garden. Outside, she met Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener, and his robin. She learned about a garden that was locked for ten years because Mr. Craven’s wife died there. She became interested in it, and her heart softened a little. The robin showed her the key and the door. She thought the garden was dead and decided to make it her own garden. She asked Martha, the maid, if she could ask her little brother, Dicken, to buy her some tools for planting. She told him about the secret garden, and Mary was no longer bitter. One early morning, before the sun had risen, she heard someone crying and found a boy lying in his bed. He told her he was Mr. Craven’s son. He was weak and believed he was going to die. The next day, Colin, who was second in command, called for her. Colin had no friends and was sour. But Mary changed it. She even got Colin to go outside and get some fresh air; she led him into the secret garden, and he managed to stand up! When Mr. Craven came back from his trip, he saw Colin standing, and that changed everything about him, too. He was no longer stubborn and harsh.
Growth happens when one is willing to and believes one will be able to adapt with inner strength, and growth can be both physical and mental. When a person is willing to change and adapt, they will. When a person strongly believes they can change and never gives up, they will succeed. The power did not come from magic but from a person’s own belief and inner strength. Physical growth is the change from the outside of one's body, and mental growth means change from the inside. In the story, When Colin tried to stand up, Mary kept saying, “You can do it.” And when Mary began to play on the moor, she became healthier and less pale. When Colin becomes determined to stand up and Mary believes in him, he keeps practicing until he becomes strong enough to run. But as she spends time in the secret garden, she realizes that she has been disagreeable and rude, and she begins to change. She becomes more polite and learns proper manners. Mary not only changes on the inside, but she also becomes prettier. Colin was exactly like Mary. Growth is about change, improvement, and becoming better, both inside and out.
Good parents provide not only food and clothing but also love, care, responsibility, encouragement, and support. Loving parents understand their children’s feelings, know their needs, and take responsibility for them. If they didn’t care about their kids and leave them to their servants, their kids wouldn’t know what true love meant, all they would know was ruthlessness. If the nurse refuses to obey the children, they will scream and throw tantrums. They can do whatever they want because the nurse has nothing to do, whether to get beaten or obey the kid. In the story, although Mary and Colin’s nurses are harsh and unsympathetic, they have no choice but to fulfill the children’s demands. Mary’s parents do not love her and rarely see her. As a result, Mary learned to be disagreeable and rude. When she is in a bad mood, she blames her nurse, even though the nurse has done nothing wrong. She sometimes even kicks and hits her. Colin was also abandoned by his father. His father hardly sees him either. Colin always thinks he’s going to die and never opens his window for fresh air. If the nurses disobey him, he screams and cries until he has no tears left. Parenting is about love and responsibility, not just ensuring a child survives. To grow into a capable adult, a person must learn important life skills and how to be independent.
Friends are essential and they always have something in common. To become friends, people must know each other and enjoy spending time together. They may share similar attitudes, but all friends have at least one thing in common. This common trait could be anything—personality traits, favorite foods, hobbies, or beliefs. Some people even become best friends through arguing. Friendship is a strong bond that forms through shared experiences and common interests. In the story, Mary and Colin become best friends. Mary was very stubborn and had no friends for ten years, just like Colin. But because of the commonness, they got along pretty well, although there are still arguments now and then. They understand each other, knowing they are both lonely and trying to offer comfort. They saw how troublesome they’d been through each other and tried their best to change. Friendships are crucial in life, they help one become a better person; friends must have something in common.
The power of magic isn’t real magic, it’s the power of nature and the belief one gives and never stops trying. The magic is the beliefs one gives to oneself. One needs to get fresh air, if one doesn’t, the mind becomes restless and unclear. One needs fresh air in order to clear one's mind and think. When one is in nature, one will only think of nature and survival and good things. Peace can sweep all the troubles away. In the story, when Colin goes into the secret garden, he thinks he can live forever. Colin is a grumpy boy, and he always thinks he’s going to die, he’s locked in a room with closed windows without the freshness of nature, all he thinks is dying. But when he enters the secret garden, the nature and fresh air make him think he’s going to live forever and ever. But it’s not the magic of the garden, it’s Colin himself who created the magic. The fresh air clears his mind, allowing him to focus on life. The more he thinks about living, the less he fears death. Nature has the power to change a person’s thoughts. And the real magic is not nature itself, but the strength within the person.
The story talks about a little girl named Mary living in her uncle’s house. Mary was a very sour girl because her parents didn’t want her. After they died in India, Mary was sent to her uncle Craven. Outside the house, she met Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener, and his robin. She learned about a garden that was locked for ten years because Mr. Craven’s wife died there. She got interested in it, and her heart softened a little. She found the key and the door. She thought it was lifeless and decided to bring it back to life. She asked Martha, the maid, if she could ask her little brother, Dickens, to buy her some tools for planting. She told him about the secret garden. And Mary was no longer bitter. One very morning, before sunrise, she heard someone crying and found a boy lying on his bed, he said he was Mr. Craven’s son, Colin. And he was crippled and thought he was going to die. The next day, Colin, who was second in command, summoned her. Colin had no friends and was sour. Mary convinced Colin to go outside and get some fresh air; she led him into the secret garden, and he managed to stand up! When Mr. Craven came back from his trip, he saw Colin standing, and that changed everything about him, too. He was no longer harsh. Growth is changing with the environment and being better. Growth is mental and physical. Parents should love and care for their children, not throw them to the nurse. Friends always have something in common. Nature is like a cure for bad things; it could make life much better.
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