The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

How to love if you have never been loved? I believe this is the main theme that is to be discussed in the book - how to be good and likable when you were never taught to be so. Through the life of Mary and Colin, and the juxtaposition with Dickon, we learn what it means to be happy and finding satisfaction in life. I dare say that The Secret Garden is a better self-help book than most self-help books out there. 

The story starts with this little “ugly and unpleasant” girl who disliked everything and everyone, and most importantly, who was disliked by everyone. She grew up in an environment where she had been neglected by her parents and the only attention she would receive came from houseworkers who had no choice but to succumb to all her desires. How could she have learned how to treat people well if she was not exposed to such behaviors? 

Surviving the plague symbolized surviving the neglect and being somehow re-born. With both her parents dead, the only option was for her to go live with her uncle back in England. And perhaps being with a bunch of strangers was not much different, and maybe even better, than being with parents who neglected you. Throughout her train to England, we begin to already see some subtle changes in her behavior. She had already started engaging in conversation with others and being curious about something other than her own. As she gets to her new home, she is soon introduced to Martha, who would then become the ignition for Mary’s change of spirits. Their first interaction showcases their distinct behavior and customs. Different from all previous “servants”, Martha did not succumb to Mary’s desires - she did not dress her, she taught Mary how to dress herself instead. She cared for Mary when she cried and would talk to Mary like an equal. Martha, and later her family, taught Mary what it meant to be a child. 

And Mary learned. Each day she would be happier, like more people, and be more liked. And the biggest sign of her evolution is her ability to then mentor Colin into doing the same. The book truly explores the idea that love is not innate, it’s something we learn how to do from observing others and being loved by others. If those conditions were not present when one is growing up, one cannot love. However, the book also shows a hopeful aspect of this reality - that is never too late to learn. And I like to believe that love was the actual Magic that cured both Colin and Mary.