The Subversion Of Stereotyped Gender Roles Of Women In The Secret Garden

Famous for her exquisite style and concern for children especially for female children, Frances Hodgson Burnett is recognized as one of the most important writers in American children's literature during the latter half of 19th Century as well as the beginning of 20th century. The Secret Garden (Here after SG), which is said by Adrian Gunther as "one of the great icons of children's literature" (Gunther, 1994: 159), is her best-known and most successful work. It became a best-seller immediately after being published in US in 1911 sold in the world with numerous editions.In the 1980s feminist critics began to show their interest in SG. The common opinion held by them is that Mary, the protagonist of SG, plays a stereotyped female role subservient to men. In this thesis, the author disagrees with the above views with her opinion which recognizes the subversive power of Mary as a power of undermining the female gender role imposed by patriarchal domination.There are two different kinds of understanding concerning gender roles of women. Those holding traditional views have related gender roles with biology, regarding gender roles as innate and eternal. Opposing the model of stereotype, feminists have been arguing that social environment rather than biological factors has the greatest influence on one's gender role. According to them, therefore, gender role is postnatal and changeable. As for Burnett, her transcendence of traditional gender roles of women is embodied in her rebellious female characters in her works especially Mary in SG. Combined with feminist theories especially the theory about gender roles presented by Simone de Beauvoir and Kate Millette, the thesis makes comparisons between Mary and traditional women in terms of historical background, characterization, as well as theme of the novel respectively, demonstrating that Mary indeed subverts the stereotyped gender roles of women. Firstly, Mary is endowed with such positive traits as rationality, bravery and independence which used to be regarded as masculinity. Secondly, through reviving the secret garden and recovering Colin, Mary brings vigor and new life into the old Misselthwaite Manor, escaping from the traditional subordination and becoming a subversive person in the patriarchal house. In conclusion, the author of the thesis holds that by depicting the female characters breaking traditional gender roles of women, Burnett goes further than her contemporaries.