The Secret Garden was an eye opener for me. Lost in cabin fever, I was anxious to find change. This book definitely brought it to me. The book evolves over time, beginning in late winter. Mary, the protagonist, finds the secret garden in a state much like it is outside now: gray, brown, cold, and 'dead'. She soon finds some green life underneath all the gray. She begins to try to weed and organize the garden struggling for life, until she meets a 'magical' boy (Dickon) who helps her garden. After lots of hard work, the two of them begin to form a wonderful garden full of lilies, crocuses, etc., until the garden has officially come to life again. Throughout this process, Mary's weak cousin, Colin, begins coming into the garden with Mary and Dickon. As the garden comes to life, so does Colin. He transforms from a hopeless, sickly, weak, pale boy, to a plump, healthy one.
My favorite parts about this book were the imagery and evolutions, and the meaning behind it all (to me). The imagery of the evolution of the garden really got me. It made me think of our journey to the woods behind SMH last March in Reilly's class. Everything seemed dead, but if you really looked for it, you could see that spring was coming. You see, I love spring. The colors, smells, warmth, everything. The imagery of the garden evolving in the novel really made me happy, and it made me see that spring is slowing creeping up on us. I also enjoyed seeing the developments of Mary and Colin. They both, before they found the garden, were spoiled brats who only cared for themselves. But the more and more they worked in the garden, the happier and more pleasant they became.
As for the meaning of the book...I understood it to be telling us to find our passion and pursue it instead of whining about how miserable our lives are. It's also telling us that fresh air, the 'magic' mentioned throughout the novel, does wonders for us. There was a passage towards the end of the novel that was talking about how one can feel when outside and happy : it gives a person a certain feeling of immortality. It got me thinking that not many people I know do that any more. So do yourself a favor: when the weather is just right, go outside and enjoy the wonderful mysteries of spring.
"One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising sun - which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of starts waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in some one's eye." -Frances Hodgson Burnett
