The Role of the Garden in Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden and Elizabeth von Arnim's Elizabeth and her German Garden

Abstract

In my thesis I examine how Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden and Elizabeth von Arnim's Elizabeth and her German Garden uses the concept of the garden. I argue that these two novels use this theme in a different way. I also prove that the garden motif carries a positive meaning in the arts. It is used as a symbol for renascence, and it usually plays an important role in character development. Besides that, I demonstrate the relationship between humanity and gardens.