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Chapter 17 of The Secret Garden is what I consider the defining chapter of the novel’s theme of disability and its treatment of it. In the beginning scene, Mary wakes up to hear Colin crying again at night. He’s throwing a tantrum because he thinks he’s found the lump on his spine that will turn him into a hunchback like his father and he will die. Mary’s approach to calming him down is to scream right back at him, and when she looks on his back, she finds that the only lumps there are his bones sticking out. Everything is just dandy, and the nurse tells him that he’ll be able to grow up as long as he goes out and gets fresh air. He decides he’s going to go out with Mary and Dickon in the Garden, and later on the novel ends with both children, once spoiled and angry, living happily at Misselthwaite! Yay, right?
This scene’s approach to potential disability is abhorrent (in my opinion at least), but it is very telling of the author’s opinion on disability in children: kids who are supposedly disabled are only overreacting. There’s actually nothing wrong with them at all! All they need is some fresh air and good meals, and they’ll function like any other child. Maybe some love from adults in their life too, as both Mary and Colin were neglected by their parents. Mary was the first to transform and be “cured” this way. She even says so herself in the scene. She used to be like Colin until she came to Misselthwaite Manor and “got fatter.” Once she’d started going outside, eating more, and making friends with people like Dickon and Martha, she was a perfectly normal child. Now it’s Colin’s turn to be “cured” of his illness, so that he can be normal like her and not throw as many tantrums.
The movies often don’t hold true to the scene in the book. Out of the multiple I watched, the closest to the dialogue of the scene was in the 1993 adaptation, but much of it was still changed. Judging from the trailer, I doubt the 2020 adaptation will be any better. Therefore, my goal for this project was to create a more accurate portrayal of the scene (though I realized I missed a bit of dialogue after I had finished editing the video, sorry about that). I drew all the panels myself, and edited in voice acting (none of us are pros so be easy on us there), sound effects, and music for ambiance.
The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books when I was little, and I still enjoy it despite the new view I have on the novel. I wanted to keep the seemingly uplifting atmosphere the scene has when Colin discovers he’s not sick at all, despite my disagreement with what is being implied. Because despite how bad it sounds — Children aren’t disabled; they just need fresh air and food — the author still portrays it in a positive light. I wanted to keep it as accurate to the book as possible whether or not I agreed with what was being said.
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