jeff hirsche - secret garden
TRANSCRIPT
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The Role of Femininity in The
Secret GardenJeff Hirsche
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)
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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
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)
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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.)
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
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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:
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And this point is relevant because...
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...
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
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However,
The race between the children in the concluding chapter in which Colin wins instigates a return to the sphere of society (p. 175)
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
Mr. Craven
Mr. Craven does not display extremely masculine qualities; in fact, his role can be perceived in several lights:
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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
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
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
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
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
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