Abstract

The paper examines various, at times surprising, links between the nineteenth century British imperialist ideology and the beloved children's classic – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The thesis that is elaborated upon is that Burnett does not merely depict, but in effect endorses imperialism and empires. The word empire is pluralized deliberately: a distinctive feature of Burnett's novel is the promotion not only of the British Empire but of miniature domestic empires also. This in turn serves to steady and, as Roland Barthes would say, depoliticize the imperialist project abroad – especially in India, which, though not the physical/imaginative setting, is constantly looming in the background of The Secret Garden. In the course of the paper, the gender issues treated in this novel will also be examined and linked with the larger context of British imperialism