Abstract: The Secret Garden is a classic children’s literature which is popular. Burnett conveys her deep worries of ecological damage and her hope of returning to nature. This thesis, based on the theory of ecocriticism, interprets the existing problems caused by ecological disharmony in this story from three aspects, namely, the environmental disharmony, disharmonious interpersonal relationship between humans and people’s inner spiritual disharmony. And it points out that it is the action of running away and refusing nature which causes such ecological disharmonious problems from analyzing how protagonists regain their health by returning to nature. The thesis draws the conclusion that human should deal with the relationship with nature by seeing them as a whole part of ecological system, in order to reconstruct a harmonious world.

Key Words: coexistence; ecological harmony; ecocriticism; return to nature

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Introduction to the Author-1

1.2 Introductions to The SecretGarden-2

1.3 Literature Review on The Secret Garden-4

2. Ecocriticism-5

2.1 Definition of Ecocriticism-5

2.2 The Development of Ecocriticism-6

2.3Tripartite Division of Ecology-6

3 Analysis of The Secret Garden Based on Ecocriticism-9

3.1 Eco-consciousness of the Author-9

3.2 Ecological Factors and Ideal Relationship in Ecosystem-10

3.3Ecological Disharmony-13

3.3.1Ecological Disharmony between Human and Nature-13

3.3.2 Disharmonious Human Relationship-15

3.3.3 Spiritual Disharmonies-17

3.4 Reconstruction of Ecological Harmony-18

3.4.1 Reconstruction of Natural Ecological Harmony-18

3.4.2 Reconstruction of Social Ecological Harmony-20

3.4.3 Reconstruction of Spiritual Ecological Harmony-22

4. Conclusion-23

References-25