Frances Hodgson Burnett was one of the most commercially successful and widely read authors of her time. In two of her most popular novels, The Secret Garden, and The Little Princess, Burnett constructs strong young female characters who seem to act much older than their age should allow, and takes these characters through a life-altering adventure that makes them once again realize the magic of childhood. Gender plays an important role in the challenges that BurnettÆs characters face. In The Little Princess, SaraÆs sociological situation is a direct reflection of her gender, which she must grow to overcome. In The Secret Garden, MaryÆs character is forced to grow from an impertinent and selfish child, to a nurturing young woman. Interestingly, the struggle of both of these characters reflects a similar struggle that their creator, Frances Hodgson Burnett, endured herself as a child and young adult.
In the Secret Garden, we are actually introduced to MaryÆs faults before we are introduced to the character herself. She is a selfish bully of a little girl whose only joy in life is gardeningùand we actually see her pretend to garden at each place where she lives. However, Burnett is careful to show her audience that MaryÆs negative disposition is not entirely her fault. Rather, it is the result of losing her parents at a very young ageùan experience that Burnett herself had to endure, and being essentially raised by servants that have been told to look after her every whim.
The author takes care to let us know that Mary is not a typical young girl, as she has been forced to grow up before her time. Her gender as a female is important to who she is and the way she experiences the world, but more importantly, it is important to the audienceÆs perception of her. This is apparent in the fact that she and Colin are so similarùyet, we perceive them differently, primarily because he is male. Furthermore, MaryÆs identificatio...