# Mistress Mary Quite Contrary explained — The Secret Garden

> Chapter companion for The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

## What happens

Mary Lennox, having survived the cholera outbreak that killed her parents, is sent to England to live with her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven. During her journey, she learns about her uncle's reclusive nature and the mysterious Misselthwaite Manor from the housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. Mary reflects on her lonely childhood and her lack of belonging, even as she resists the kindness of others.

## Themes in this chapter

### Childhood and Independence

Mary's journey to England forces her to confront her isolation and lack of belonging, setting the stage for her eventual independence and growth.

### Grief and Healing

Mary's lack of grief over her parents' death and her emotional numbness hint at the need for healing, while Mr. Craven's grief over his wife's death has made him reclusive.

### Class and Social Hierarchy

The chapter contrasts Mary's privileged but neglected upbringing in India with the stark, isolated life at Misselthwaite Manor, highlighting class distinctions.

## Character check-ins

### Mary Lennox

Mary is depicted as self-absorbed, lonely, and contrary. She resists affection, feels disconnected from others, and is curious yet defiant about her new life in England.

### Basil

Basil teases Mary by calling her 'Mistress Mary Quite Contrary' and informs her that she is being sent to her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven, whom he describes as a hunchback.

### Mrs. Medlock

Mrs. Medlock is the housekeeper at Misselthwaite Manor, sent to collect Mary. She is blunt, talkative, and unimpressed by Mary's appearance, providing details about Mr. Craven and the manor.

### Archibald Craven

Mr. Craven is Mary's uncle, described as a reclusive hunchback who shuts himself away after the death of his wife. He is rarely seen and avoids people.

### Mrs. Crawford

Mrs. Crawford is the English clergyman's wife who briefly cares for Mary. She finds Mary plain and unattractive, pitying her lack of manners.

## Key lines

> Mistress Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, And marigolds all in a row.

Basil teases Mary by singing a nursery rhyme that mocks her contrary nature and her interest in gardening.

_This rhyme becomes a nickname for Mary and reflects her initial stubborn and disagreeable personality._

> She had begun to wonder why she had never seemed to belong to anyone even when her father and mother had been alive.

Mary starts to realize that she never felt truly connected to her parents or anyone else, even before their deaths.

_This moment marks the beginning of Mary's self-awareness and her longing for belonging._

> He lives in a great, big, desolate old house in the country and no one goes near him. He's so cross he won't let them, and they wouldn't come if he would let them. He's a hunchback, and he's horrid.

Basil describes Mr. Craven as a reclusive, angry hunchback who lives alone in a large, gloomy house.

_This description shapes Mary's initial expectations of her uncle and Misselthwaite Manor._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters/ii-mistress-mary-quite-contrary
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_secret_garden_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_secret_garden_se/chapters