jeff hirsche - secret garden

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http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif The Role of Femininity in The Secret Garden Jeff Hirsche

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Page 1: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

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The Role of Femininity in The

Secret GardenJeff Hirsche

Page 2: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Masculinity vs. Femininity in The Secret Garden

Female associated with natureNature is a positive force

i.e. Mrs. Lennox was warned to flee to the hills to escape the plague (p. 596)

http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/CNY5232001/105.jpg

Male associated with societySociety is a negative force

i.e. Cholera hits places where many people are gathered (Burnett, 1911, pp. 596-597)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Gustave_Caillebotte_-_Jour_de_pluie_à_Paris.jpg/786px-Gustave_Caillebotte_-_Jour_de_pluie_à_Paris.jpg

Page 3: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Society’s Negative Side

Cholera kills large gatherings of people, causing desolation (pp. 596-597)

Mary’s parents too busy with work and parties to be good parents (p. 595)

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hockney/hockney.furstenberg-paris.jpg

Society and Culture, the masculine domain, is depicted in a negative light

Archibald Craven supplies doctors and luxuries, but none of these help Colin’s recovery (p. 612.)

Page 4: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Nature’s Positive Role

Mary is teased for being “quite contrary,” which includes references to cockle shells and marigolds—symbols of nature (p. 598)

Some people think that the country manor Misselthwaite, located in a moor, is too dreary to improve children (p. 599)

Nature, although at times perceived negatively...

Mary, although surrounded by death, is not frightened—and seemingly comforted—by a snake (p. 597)

The robin befriends the lonely—nature (pp. 607-608)

Garden’s ability to heal Colin (pp. 613-615)

...has a positive role

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/landscape-at-cagnes-pierre-auguste-renoir.jpg

Page 5: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

For the Female Reader

A focus on “personal and family values” over community ones

An “emphasis on nurturing”

“The importance of a mother figure”

“The empowering role of of the imagination in personal development”

• (p. 174)

According to Foster and Simons (1995), The Secret Garden has mainly appealed to female readers because of the following values:

http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/5f/80/art,female,painting,portrait-5f803aa2898919ada367aac589e5582f_h.jpg

And this point is relevant because...

Page 6: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

The Importance of these Themes

Mary’s disposition and health become more agreeable as “her mind gradually filled itself with robins, and moorland cottages crowded with children... With springtime and with secret gardens coming alive...” (Burnett, p. 609)

Colin’s health is likewise benefited by his play in the garden, which ultimately brings Mr. Craven out of his melancholy also

...the feminine values allow the main characters to heal and grow

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/L%27enfant_au_Tablier_Rouge.jpg

Also...

Page 7: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Healing Values continued

Unlike contemporary novels such as Peter Pan, The Secret Garden focuses on collective play between boys and girls (p. 175)

This play occurs in the feminine sphere of the garden, emphasizing the feminine role of cooperation

...Simons and Foster point out that

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/VanGoghIrises2.jpg/760px-VanGoghIrises2.jpg

However,

The race between the children in the concluding chapter in which Colin wins instigates a return to the sphere of society (p. 175)

Page 8: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Masculinity

Colin describes his own masculinity as a result of the garden:

“It was the garden that did it—and Mary and Dickon and the creatures—and the Magic... I’m well, I can beat Mary in a race. I’m going to be an athlete.”

Evidently, the healing that the feminine sphere of nature provides allows for the building up of masculinity

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Seurat_bathers.png/800px-Seurat_bathers.png

Page 9: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Mr. Craven

Mr. Craven does not display extremely masculine qualities; in fact, his role can be perceived in several lights:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Caspar_David_Friedrich_032.jpg/300px-Caspar_David_Friedrich_032.jpg

A kind of romantic figure, wandering aimlessly over his dead love

A terrible father, only providing for his son’s material needs while neglecting his social or parental needs

Page 10: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Identity Lost

Essentially, Mr. Craven lost his identity when he lost the feminine influence in his life He was unsure how to be a

proper father

He was incapable of accepting a new feminine role into his life

He shut away the garden, his link to memories of a positive feminine role

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/The_Scream.jpg/475px-The_Scream.jpg

Page 11: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Identity Found

When his link to femininity returned, Mr. Craven regained his identityHe was unsure how to be a

proper father

He was incapable of accepting a new feminine role into his life

He shut away the garden, his link to memories of a positive feminine role

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere.jpg

Page 12: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Femininity and its RoleEssentially, femininity’s role is to allow for growth and healingFor Colin, femininity allows him to grow healthy

For Mr. Craven, femininity allows him to regain his identity

For Mary, femininity allows her to socialize

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Edouard_Manet%2C_A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère.jpg/800px-Edouard_Manet%2C_A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère.jpg

Page 13: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

Femininity and its RoleWhen the garden is hid away, the balance between nature (feminine) and society (masculine) is askew

When no longer concealed, the gendered spheres are back in balance, and the characters function more healthily

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Monet_Waterlilypond_1926.jpg

Page 14: Jeff Hirsche - Secret Garden

ReferencesBanksy. (Artist). (2005). Untitled. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceout.gif

Cambier, G. (Artist). (n.d.). Untitled. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://cdnimg.visualizeus.com/thumbs/5f/80/art,female,painting,portrait-5f803aa2898919ada367aac589e5582f_h.jpg

Escher, M. C. (Artist). (1935). Hand with reflecting sphere. [Lithograph]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Hand_with_Reflecting_Sphere.jpg

Foster, S., & Simons, J. (1995). What katy read: Feminist re-readings of 'classic' stories for girls. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.ca/books?id=gWJMOEFNG1AC&pg=PA172&dq=burnett secret garden feminism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jk_uT9HLC6uN6AH9mfX1BA&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ

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Hockney, D. (Photographer). (1985). Place Furstenberg, Paris, August 7,8,9, 1985. [Photographic collage]. Retrieved from http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hockney/hockney.furstenberg-paris.jpg

Manet, E. (Artist). (1881-1882). A bar at the folies-bergere. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Edouard_Manet,_A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère.jpg/800px-Edouard_Manet,_A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Bergère.jpg

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O'Keeffe, G. (Artist). (1928). Calla lilies with red anemone. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/CNY5232001/105.jpg

Renoir, P. A. (Artist). (1905). Landscape at Cagnes. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/landscape-at-cagnes-pierre-auguste-renoir.jpg

Seurat, G. (Artist). (1884). Bathers at Asnieres. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Seurat_bathers.png/800px-Seurat_bathers.png

Stahl, J. D., Hanlon, T. L., & Keyser, E. L. (2007). The Secret Garden. Crosscurrents of children's literature: an anthology of texts and criticism (pp. 595-615). New York: Oxford University Press.

Van Gogh, V. (Artist). (1889). Irises. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/VanGoghIrises2.jpg/760px-VanGoghIrises2.jpg