Vol.4, No 1, 2006pp. 85 - 96
UDC 821.111-31-09 Barnet F.H.

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"INDIA IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM YORKSHIRE": EMPIRE(S),
ORIENTALISM, AND GENDER IN BURNETT'S SECRET GARDEN
Danijela Petković
Faculty of Philosophy, Niš, Serbia

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The paper examines various, at times surprising, links between the nineteenth century British imperialist ideology (as well as practice) and the beloved children's classic – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The thesis that is elaborated upon is that Burnett does not merely depict, but in effect endorses imperialism and empires. The word empire is pluralized deliberately: a distinctive feature of Burnett's novel is the promotion not only of the British Empire but of miniature domestic empires also. This in turn serves to steady and, as Roland Barthes would say, depoliticize the imperialist project abroad – especially in India, which, though not the physical/imaginative setting, is constantly looming in the background of The Secret Garden. In the course of the paper, the gender issues treated in this novel will also be examined and linked with the larger context of British imperialism.

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"INDIJA SE PRILIČNO RAZLIKUJE OD JORKŠIRA": IMPERIJ(E),
ORIJENTALIZAM, I ROD U TAJNI NAPUŠTENOG VRTA BARNETOVE Rad istražuje različite, povremeno iznenadjujuće veze izmedju britanskog imperijalizma 19. veka i popularnog klasika za decu – romana Tajna napuštenog vrta Frensis Hod'son Barnet. Teza koja se dokazuje je da Barnetova ne samo prikazuje već i promoviše imperijalizam i imperije. Imenica 'imperija' je namerno u množini: karakteristično za ovaj roman je to da pored britanske Imperije promoviše i domaće, mini-imperije. Ovo služi da učvrsti i, kako bi Rolan Bart rekao, depolitizuje imperijalistički projekat – naročito u Indiji, koja je stalno u pozadini romana. Problemi roda prisutni u romanu će takodje biti istraženi i povezani sa širim kontekstom britanskog imperijalizma.