The Secret Garden Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

The Secret Garden Suggested Essay Topics

Many children would ask for permission before going off to explore Misselthwaite Manor or entering the locked garden. Why doesn't Mary? Is she spoiled or courageous?

How could Colin have been an invalid his whole life, before Mary and Dickon convince him that he is not?

Mary and Colin do very well without parents, teachers, or even much supervision. Is this realistic? Would you have liked to live like them?

Is a child like a garden? What does a child need to grow into a good and happy person?

What is the magic? Is it just nature, or is it something more?

How do you think the book would be different if Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote it today?

The Secret Garden has been made in movie many times. If you saw the version made in 1993, directed by Agnieszka Holland, discuss the ways in which the movie is not faithful...
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