English 2033E Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Hypochondriasis, Sowerby Family, Western Religions

• School: Western University
• Department: English
• Course: English 2033E
• Professor: Clarissa Suranyi

Document Summary

Unit fifteen frances hodgson burnett, the secret garden: the most subversive and original element of this novel is its heroine: mary is petulant, spoiled, ugly, a(cid:374)d (cid:374)asty, yet readers prefer her to other girls i(cid:374) (cid:272)hildre(cid:374)"s lit. The (cid:374)arrator carefully avoids requesting out sympathy for mary in any overt way. But she is (cid:374)ot (cid:272)ruel: there are signs early on of redeeming characteristics: mary demonstrates intellectual curiosity. This novel suggests that a love of reading bodes well for a (cid:272)hild"s (cid:272)hara(cid:272)ter. Her i(cid:373)agi(cid:374)atio(cid:374) e(cid:373)erges i(cid:374) her early atte(cid:373)pts to prete(cid:374)d. Iro(cid:374)i(cid:272)ally mary"s (cid:271)ratty perso(cid:374)ality (cid:271)e(cid:272)o(cid:373)es a stre(cid:374)gth: she is a (cid:373)at(cid:272)h for coli(cid:374) because she is just as spoiled as he is and is not easily intimidated by him. She (cid:272)a(cid:374)"t get alo(cid:374)g (cid:449)ith (cid:374)i(cid:272)e (cid:272)hildre(cid:374) (cid:271)ut (cid:374)eeds her te(cid:373)per to get alo(cid:374)g (cid:449)ith coli(cid:374): one reason mary is so cross is her upbringing.