Ecofeminism Blog

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 13, 2010
Ecofeminism Blog

The Secret Garden

            The movie is about a little girl who loses her parents in an earthquake. After losing her parents, she is sent to live with her uncle who is not a very happy man. The Secret Garden exhibits the progress of character developments. Mary Lennox, Mrs. Medlock, Colin, and Mary’s uncle change in the end of the movie in a positive way.
             Mary Lennox who is a 10 year old girl had no attention or love from her family in her life. She was living in wealth; therefore she was a depressed child because of her parents being busy with parties or their business life, unfortunately not caring about her much. In the book Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives, “…an ecological feminism can, and should, integrate gender, race, class, and nation in its analysis and that its powerful theoretical insights can, and should translate into practice” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 540). Nature and the elements don’t come into play until later but as a result of these, Mary developed her character in terms of a cold personality, and because of her being used to live in wealth, she always expects attention, and perfection from others who are lower than her. In the story line, Mary finds about a secret garden. Not having any reason that will keep her alive before, Mary dedicates herself to the development of the forsaken garden. She discovers the truth that lies in the secret garden. Her personality changes after she finds about her cousin who is ill and she tries to help him as much as she can. Trying to discover the truth and help her crippled cousin, she develops a new character, which is caring and for the first time she feels love.
          As a result we can say that all character developments in this story are results of Mary’s appearance and the discovery of “the Secret Garden”. When Mary reveals the truth, stepping into the forsaken place, she changed herself and others too, in a good way. She brought happiness to the place which seemed to have nothing like happiness or peace.
          The major themes relating to healing are the components of human companionship, friendship, determination, and love in relation to the garden. As stated in the book Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives, in Western thought, nature is often feminized and sexualized though imagery such as “virgin forest,” “the rape of the earth,” and “penetrating,” the wilderness (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 539). In the movie, there is not much emphasis on the gender of nature but there is a deep contrast between the social standings of the characters. Suffering, secrecy, and sickness seem to be tied with those in the upper class. Those that represent and affect positive change are the country folk who are more truthful, compassionate, and noble than people not in close touch with nature.
            You cannot help but be aware of the themes of healing and personal change. The garden was as the central symbol, a place of personal devastation (as with Lily Craven’s death and Archibald’s mourning) and subsequent restoration (as with Mary’s self-discovery). It is evident that one of the strongest sources of healing power comes from within the individual. The story ends,with every character in the story smiling and again enjoying life, but all those are results of Mary’s appearance in the sad mansion.





Work Cited

"Women and the Environment." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 539-40. Print.