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Hyperbole
Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—A Marred Child:
Burnett uses Yorkshire idioms in several places in The Secret Garden to denote the response the people of Misselthwaite Manor and its surrounding area have to Mary Lennox. Using local idiom in this way allows the reader a glimpse into the mindset of the Yorkshire characters and allows the author to lend a bit of local color to interactions as small as thoughts. When Mrs. Medlock is bringing Mary home to the manor for the first time, she observes her discontentedly and makes use of the word "marred," which is a Yorkshire term that means spoiled and pettish:
Mary sat in her corner of the railway carriage and looked plain and fretful. Her black dress made her look yellower than ever, and her limp light hair straggled from under her black crêpe hat. “A more marred-looking young one I never saw in my life,” Mrs. Medlock thought.
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Chapter 4
Explanation and Analysis—It Was The Custom:
In the early part of the novel, when Mary has only just come to Misselthwaite, she thinks she can behave like she did in the India of her childhood. Beginning in Chapter 4, Burnett uses an idiomatic phrase from the Victorian period to denote instances when Mary expects something to be done for her. Her English servants and counterparts find this idiom baffling:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Why doesn’t tha’ put on tha’ own shoes?” she said when Mary quietly held out her foot. “My Ayah did it,” answered Mary, staring. “It was the custom.” She said that very often—“It was the custom.” The native servants were always saying it. If one told them to do a thing their ancestors had not done for a thousand years they gazed at one mildly and said, “It is not the custom” and one knew that was the end of the matter.
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Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Thinking New Things:
The phrase "new things" is repeated many times in The Secret Garden, and occurs always when Mary Lennox encounters someone else's behavior that makes her stop and reflect on her own. Burnett's novel employs a few phrases that work like this, forming a shorthand for a much larger concept that would belabor the point if explained to the reader every time. An example of this idiomatic motif happens when Martha scolds Mary for being unable to dress herself properly in Chapter 6:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Hasn’t tha’ got good sense?” she said once, when Mary had stood waiting for her to put on her gloves for her. “Our Susan Ann is twice as sharp as thee an’ she’s only four year’ old. Sometimes tha’ looks fair soft in th’ head.” Mary had worn her contrary scowl for an hour after that, but it made her think several entirely new things.
Related Themes:
Chapter 27
Explanation and Analysis—Thinking New Things:
The phrase "new things" is repeated many times in The Secret Garden, and occurs always when Mary Lennox encounters someone else's behavior that makes her stop and reflect on her own. Burnett's novel employs a few phrases that work like this, forming a shorthand for a much larger concept that would belabor the point if explained to the reader every time. An example of this idiomatic motif happens when Martha scolds Mary for being unable to dress herself properly in Chapter 6:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“Hasn’t tha’ got good sense?” she said once, when Mary had stood waiting for her to put on her gloves for her. “Our Susan Ann is twice as sharp as thee an’ she’s only four year’ old. Sometimes tha’ looks fair soft in th’ head.” Mary had worn her contrary scowl for an hour after that, but it made her think several entirely new things.
Related Themes:
