The story starts in colonial India, where Mary Lennox resides with her parents. Following their deaths, Mary is sent to live with her reclusive uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. At Misselthwaite, Mary stumbles upon a garden that has been locked and neglected for a decade, ever since her uncle's wife sustained a fatal injury there. The garden is overrun with dead or dying weeds and grasses. Mary chooses to make the garden her private sanctuary and sets out to restore it.

Although The Secret Garden possesses many elements typical of a fairy tale, its most fundamental symbol is grounded not in fantasy but in nature. The rejuvenation of the abandoned garden mirrors the rejuvenation of Mary and Colin. Like them, the garden has been neglected and left to wither, yet it still contains the seeds—though hidden and buried—that can allow it to bloom and flourish if someone takes the time to care for it. As the garden thrives, so do the children who tend to it. Once the garden is brought back to life, the children come to understand its immense strength and power. They call this power "magic," and recognize that magic works "best when you work yourself." They sing hymns and chant incantations, joyfully realizing that they, too, partake in and sustain the miracle of life.

Symbolically, Burnett draws from an ancient pastoral literary tradition, transforming the garden into a nurturing, maternal figure. The garden provides the children with a secure, secluded space where they can learn to care for themselves and others. Indeed, the children spend about nine months—spring, summer, and fall—sheltered behind the garden's protective walls before they emerge victorious.

But she was inside the wonderful garden, and she could come through the door under the ivy at any time, feeling as if she had discovered a world all her own.
The Secret Garden's tightly unified plot is driven by the changing seasons, allowing the rebirth of both the garden and the children to occur smoothly and cohesively. Burnett also effectively uses dialogue: Colin's and Mary's increasing adoption of Dickon's Yorkshire dialect vividly illustrates their growth as they learn to see the world through their friend's perspective. Ultimately, the characters' development and their ability to transform their lives make this novel a story of redemption.

Some readers might find Burnett's sentimental depiction of poverty and the class system unsettling, but her portrayal is not devoid of sensitivity. As Mary and Colin regain their health, they experience what it means to be physically hungry and unable to meet their needs. For the first time, they grasp how challenging it must be for Dickon's mother, Mrs. Sowerby, to provide for her twelve children. When she sends them milk and freshly baked bread, they feel genuine gratitude but also realize the sacrifice it entails for the Sowerby family. The two children are no longer unaware of the struggles faced by those less fortunate and find a way to assist the Sowerbys in return.

The novel illustrates that everyone needs love and understanding, but emphasizes that these must be given to be received. The lessons the children learn—to care for others, to work towards making others happy, and to empathize with the hardships in others' lives—render The Secret Garden a sensitive and powerful novel.

The Secret Garden was adapted into a film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1949. The screenplay was crafted by Robert Ardrey, with Fred Wilcox directing. The movie featured Margaret O'Brien as Mary, Dean Stockwell as Colin, and Brian Roger as Dickon. However, this version lacks the novel's subtleties and leans heavily...