Topografias do eu e o duplo ingresso: a jornada simbólica em o jardim secreto, de Francês Hodgson Burnett

Abstract

This study investigates the act of entering the walled garden by the characters Mary, Dickon, and Colin in The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, analyzing how this moment shapes their psychological and social transformations. It examines the hypothesis that crossing into the garden represents a symbolic rite of passage, triggering processes of self-discovery, individuation, and identity restructuring. The research adopts a qualitative and bibliographic approach, drawing on the theoretical contributions of Franco Moretti regarding the Bildungsroman, Gaston Bachelard on symbolic space, Carl G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz on symbols, archetypes, the self and the individuation process, as well as Antonio Candido’s reflections on the novelistic character. The study focuses on the narrative and symbolic elements that constitute the characters’ entrances into the garden, as well as on the subsequent transformations in their relationship with nature, collective work, and friendship. It is concluded that the garden functions as a space of regeneration, autonomy, and development.