Functional_Oral_Communcation

Analysis of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden 1. I am meaning to write about the main character in the book, Mary, how she changes as a person and what it is that makes her change when she becomes an orphan and is brought to his uncle Mr Archibald Craven's house in England. Mary is an unwanted child. Her parents do not want her. Her first ten years she grows up in India. The servants of the house take care of her. She is brought up by an Ayha witch is instructed to obey the slightest wish, the order is hat she is not to be heard, seen or do any fuss. Her mother must not be disturbed by crying or screaming. Since she can not be heard or seen, Mary always gets what she wants and grows up and become a tyrannical, spoiled and selfish child. Her father had held a position under the English Government and always been busy and ill himself, and her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people. She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who was made to understand that if she wished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as much as possible. So when she was sickly, fretful, ugly little baby she was kept out of the way, and when became sickly, fretful, toddling thing she was kept out of the way also. She never remembered seeing familiarly anything but the dark faces of her Ayah and other native servants, as they always obeyed her and gave her own way in everything, because the Mem Sahib would be angry if she was disturbed by her crying, by the time she was six years old she was tyrannical as selfish a little pig as ever lived. (7) One morning when she wakes up she finds the house empty and deserted. She does not understand what has happened and why she's left on her own in the big house. She can hear male voices and suddenly there are two men in the room. They explain to her that her parents and some of their servants died of cholera or deserted the house. She has no ability to ensure their parents because she has not experienced what it is like to live as a family. She is looked after by his uncle in England. When Mary comes to Misselthwait Manor she behaves just as she did to her Ayah and the servants in India. She knows no other way to behave. She answers unpleasant when 2. She is spoken to and have expectations that she should be served just as she was of her Ayah in India. She can not even dress himself. Martha, who is a maiden talk and deals with Mary in a nice way and corrects her in a humorous way. Mary is forced to take care of herself and spends much time in the garden. The garden is large and maintained by several gardeners. One day she meets the gardener Ben Weatherstaff. The gardener is old and looks pretty grumpy, but he talks to Mary. One day, when they talk, a robin is sitting on a branch. Mary watched, fascinated the bird, and Ben says that it tends to come and visit him. Ben says that the robin is his friend and that it often comes to him in the garden. He further says that he has no friends and feels quite alone. Mary says she feels lonely too because she has no family or friends. The meeting with Ben and the robin affects Mary and it is with this incident as Mary begins to change. Martha is a key element that makes Mary continues to change and begin to behave in a nicer way. Martha comes from a poor family with many siblings. Martha talks a lot about her family; they live crowded and not have so much money. She talks a lot about her mom about how clever she is and what sensible opinions she has. These conversations will affect Mary a lot. Mary feels that she is very fond of Martha's mother, although she has not seen her. Hodgson Burnett writes:” I like your mother”, said Mary.” I should think tha´did,” agreed Martha polishing away. “I’ve never seen her,” said Mary. “No tha´hasn´,” replied Martha. (61) Martha tells a lot about Dickon, her brother, and his ability to see a bright outlook and his ability to care for animals and make them feel good. She likes to hear stories about him and wants Martha to tell more. She feels that she also likes Dickon although she has not seen him either. Hodgson Burnett writes: ”I like Dickon,” added Mary. “And I never seen him.”(61) Martha's mother has a good heart and understands that Mary does not have anyone to play with and that she needs something to occupy herself with. One day when Martha has been visiting her family, she has a gift with him to Mary. It is a skipping rope as Martha's mother bought for her. Mary is impressed that someone who has so little money still can buy a skipping rope to her. Hodgson Burnett writes:” A present!” exclaimed Mistress Mary. How could a cottage full of fourteen hungry people give any one a present!” (69) There are other incidents that make Mary more humble, courteous and understand how to socialize with other people. Nature all around and the garden are much more beautiful than in India. She discovers the moor, how beautiful it can be in the spring. She appreciates the garden with beautiful flowers and plants, and she is looking after the garden which no one has been in for ten years. She calls it the secret garden. It is the little robin that shows her the way to the key and to the door to the garden. Here she takes Dickon when she meets him and they work together in the garden and make it nice. Hodgson Burnet, Frances. The Secret Garden. ( Penguin Popular Classics 1911/1995)