The Secret Garden · Chapter
VII: The Key of the Garden explained
After a storm, Mary awakens to a brilliant blue sky over the moor.
What happens
After a storm, Mary awakens to a brilliant blue sky over the moor. Martha explains the coming of spring and describes the beauty of the moor in bloom. Mary expresses a desire to see Martha's cottage and meet her mother. Left alone, Mary explores the gardens, talks with Ben Weatherstaff about the changing season, and bonds with the robin. While following the robin, she discovers an old key buried in the soil, which she suspects might be the key to the secret garden.
Themes in this chapter
Healing Power of Nature
The clearing of the storm and the brilliant blue sky symbolize renewal; the moor and garden are depicted as sources of comfort and hope for Mary.
Transformation and Growth
Mary begins to change, showing curiosity and a desire to explore, and her discovery of the key hints at the transformative journey ahead.
Friendship and Connection
Mary's growing affection for the robin, Martha, Dickon, and Mrs. Sowerby marks her first steps toward forming meaningful relationships.
Characters to notice
- Mary Lennox
Mary awakens to the transformed moor, feels lonely after Martha leaves, explores the gardens, and discovers the key to the secret garden.
- Martha Sowerby
Martha describes the springtime moor, talks about her mother, and leaves for her day off, walking five miles across the moor to her cottage.
- Ben Weatherstaff
Ben speaks to Mary about the coming spring, the stirring earth, and the robin's knowledge of the secret garden, which has been locked for ten years.
- Dickon Sowerby
Martha mentions Dickon's love of the moor and his way with animals, and Mary says she likes Dickon though she has never seen him.
- Mrs. Sowerby
Martha speaks of her mother's wisdom and good nature; Mary says she likes Mrs. Sowerby without having met her.
Key passages
“Aye. Th' storm's over for a bit. It does like this at this time o' th' year. It goes off in a night like it was pretendin' it had never been here an' never meant to come again. That's because th' springtime's on its way. It's a long way off yet, but it's comin'.”
Martha explains that the storm has passed quickly, as if pretending it never happened, because spring is approaching, even though it is still some time away.
Martha's words convey the cyclical nature of the seasons and the promise of renewal.
“How does tha' like thysel'?”
Martha asks Mary how she feels about herself, echoing a question her mother once asked her.
This moment prompts Mary to reflect on her own self-worth, a key step in her emotional growth.
“Perhaps it has been buried for ten years. Perhaps it is the key to the garden!”
Mary speculates that the old key she found has been hidden for a decade and might unlock the secret garden.
This discovery marks a pivotal moment, igniting Mary's hope and curiosity about the hidden garden.