The Secret Garden
Read the following extract carefully before answering the question:
The horses were climbing up a hilly piece of road when she first caught sight of a light. Mrs. Medlock saw it as soon as she did and drew a long sigh of relief.
"Eh, I am glad to see that bit o' light twinkling," she exclaimed. "It's the light in the lodge window. We shall get a good cup of tea after a bit, at all events."
It was "after a bit," as she said, for when the carriage passed through the park gates there was still two miles of avenue to drive through and the trees (which nearly met overhead) made it seem as if they were driving through a long dark vault.
They drove out of the vault into a clear space and stopped before an immensely long but low-built house which seemed to ramble round a stone court. At first Mary thought that there were no lights at all in the windows, but as she got out of the carriage she saw that one room in a corner up-stairs showed a dull glow.
The entrance door was a huge one made of massive, curiously shaped panels of oak studded with big iron nails and bound with great iron bars. It opened into an enormous hall, which was so dimly lighted that the faces in the portraits on the walls and the figures in the suits of armor made Mary feel that she did not want to look at them. As she stood on the stone floor she looked a very small, odd little black figure, and she felt as small and lost and odd as she looked.
A neat, thin old man stood near the manservant who opened the door for them.
"You are to take her to her room," he said in a husky voice. "He doesn't want to see her. He's going to London in the morning."
"Very well, Mr. Pitcher," Mrs. Medlock answered. "So long as I know what's expected of me, I can manage."
"What's expected of you, Mrs. Medlock," Mr. Pitcher said, "is that you make sure that he's not disturbed and that he doesn't see what he doesn't want to see."
And then Mary Lennox was led up a broad staircase and down a long corridor and up a short flight of steps and through another corridor and another, until a door opened in a wall and she found herself in a room with a fire in it and a supper on a table.
Mrs. Medlock said unceremoniously:
"Well, here you are! This room and the next are where you'll live—and you must keep to them. Don't you forget that!"
It was in this way Mistress Mary arrived at Misselthwaite Manor and she had perhaps never felt quite so contrary in all her life.
Question: Based on the interaction between Mrs. Medlock and Mr. Pitcher, and Mrs. Medlock's final instructions to Mary, what can you infer about the strict atmosphere and unusual rules within Misselthwaite Manor?
💡 Writing Tips
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Look closely at the dialogue. What are Mr. Pitcher's concerns? What is Mrs. Medlock's attitude? Consider the specific phrases used, such as "He doesn't want to see her" and "he's not disturbed and that he doesn't see what he doesn't want to see." Also, pay attention to Mrs. Medlock's instructions about Mary's living arrangements. These details will help you piece together the nature of the household.
📝 Sample Answer
The extract suggests a strict and highly unusual atmosphere within Misselthwaite Manor, where the master of the house dictates very specific and isolating rules. Mr. Pitcher's terse statement, "He doesn't want to see her. He's going to London in the morning," immediately indicates that Mary's presence is either unwanted or that the master of the house, who is presumably her uncle, is avoiding her. The emphasis is on his comfort and wishes.
Mr. Pitcher then explicitly lays out Mrs. Medlock's primary duty: to "make sure that he's not disturbed and that he doesn't see what he doesn't want to see." This reveals an almost paranoid concern for the master's privacy and comfort, implying that his wishes are paramount and the household revolves around preventing him from encountering anything he dislikes, including possibly Mary herself. It also suggests a household shrouded in secrets or personal whims, where certain realities are deliberately hidden.
Mrs. Medlock's own "unceremonious" instructions to Mary—"This room and the next are where you'll live—and you must keep to them. Don't you forget that!"—further reinforce this strict, controlling environment. Mary is confined to specific rooms, with no hint of freedom to explore, implying a regime of confinement and rigid boundaries. The tone is abrupt and authoritative, highlighting that Mary is under strict surveillance and her movements are severely restricted from the moment she arrives. These interactions paint a picture of a household run by an absentee, highly particular master, enforced by his subordinates, creating a very unwelcoming and rule-bound environment for a young girl.
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