Mary Lennox

"If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden."

Mary Lennox is the main protagonist of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and the film adaptations.

The Secret Garden
Mary Lennox is a sour faced ten-year-old girl who was born and raised by British parents in India. Spoiled, rude, and temperamental, she has been tended to by servants and her family. One day, her parents are killed by a cholera epidemic (in the movie's case, an earthquake) and Mary is sent away to live with her uncle Archibald Craven in a mansion in England, which is tended by the housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. Mary starts out in her usual bad ways, not liking the house, and Mrs. Medlock forbids her to go exploring. It takes a while for Mary to learn that there is a magnificent garden next door to the house. Lord Craven has kept the garden a secret because of the death of his wife. She makes friends with Martha Sowerby, the maid, and her twelve-year-old brother Dickon, who cares for the animals. Mary notices crying in the house and discovers that it's her bedridden cousin, Colin, who is troubled by the death of his mother at a young age and has a problem with his spine. She discovers that he is as spoiled and mean as she was but instead of mistreating him, Mary takes Colin into the garden where, with Dickon, they befriend Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener, and rise above their pain. Lord Craven discovers them and is surprised and happy to see the children together. As for Mary, she grows into a strong and caring girl.

Trivia

 * Mary Lennox is played by Kate Maberly in the 1993 film.
 * She is one of the most unpredictable female protagonists and one of those who learn from her actions and grow and mature throughout the story.
 * Mary is a mezzo-soprano in the 1991 musical, originally played by Daisy Egan at the age of 11, making her the youngest actress to win a Tony.