‘Otherways’ into the Garden: Re-Visioning the Feminine in The Secret Garden

Abstract

This article documents my interpretation of The Secret Garden. Re-visioning The Secret Garden as a Sleeping Beauty tale was the key that made it possible for me to recognize the story as Mary's quest tale and as a feminine, subversive text with covert, symbolic messages. To arrive at my interpretation, I explored a series of questions dealing with issues such as sight, speech, power, gender construction, and symbolism. My interpretation reveals the positive and potent ways women subvert the hegemony of patriarchal society and the celebration of the divine feminine within The Garden.