The Chaotic "Secret Garden"

 For some reason, this story reminds me in many ways of the story of The Secret Garden. I am unsure why, as most of the similarities between the two are more surface level than anything else. A young child is orphaned and sent to live with a strange older man that is a bit fickle and lives in a house that is rather....odd, and finds abnormal companions along the way that help show her deeper meanings to life than what she expected before. Maybe this is just a me thing, but perhaps Frances Hodgson Burnett took some inspiration from Dickens in her writing of The Secret Garden. 

Secondly, what is the deal with this lawsuit? In what world would a real lawsuit take generations to be settled? I know perhaps that some creative liberty can be taken since it is a fictional story and it is a different time period, but that felt somewhat...unbelievable to me. Once again, perhaps that is just a me thing. But I will admit it is an interesting story plot, that much of the action of the story hinged on the lawsuit taking place in the first place. 

Esther is an interesting character, in that she seems to have a....child-like wonder about her. She seems to enjoy the fact that she's included in this business with Mr. Jamdyce at all. Esther is about twenty-years old when the main action takes place (at least, I think she is, the timeline is a little confusing to me), but she is still almost treated like a child. I know during the 1800s women were treated as children for almost all of their lives, as they were considered unemotionally intelligent and I suppose that could relate to how Esther is characterized and cared for like she was a child. Maybe I just read it wrong, but this was the way Esther read to me. 

P.S. I commented on Emma Kate and Emmett's posts. 

Comments

  1. Raygan BosterOctober 25, 2021 at 2:30 PM

    The mystery of the lawsuit definitely sucks you in and keeps you interested. I also find it funny how Esther states that she tries to not talk ab herself a lot but describes word for word all the praises she receives from other regarding her care for children and things of the sort. She does receive care like a child would sometimes but handles their business as an adult would. It is a very interesting contrast.

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  2. The Mahn-sterOctober 25, 2021 at 5:05 PM

    Now that you mention it, it does remind me of The Secret Garden. It particularly calls the following phrase in the secret garden to mind: "High on a hill sits a big old house with something wrong inside it. Spirits haunt the halls, and make no effort now, to hide it." Jarndyce and Jarndyce really fits this description, with its fog, mystery, confusion, and melancholy air.

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