Burnett's Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... &GRid=2498

But doesn't show Lionel's statue.

http://pam_oconnell.tripod.com/burnett.txt
Commemoration of Burnett at the Manhasset Public Library, Long Island, near Burnett's home.

Son Vivian died a hero: "A longtime member of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, he collapsed and died after rescuing the crew of a small boat that had capsized in Long Island Sound. ''He tried all his life to live down this unfair, sissified image'' -- Vivian was the model for the lace-collared, curly-locked hero of Fauntleroy -- ''and he died a hero,'' said George Graf, a former commodore of the yacht club."

[quote="Thomas Hood

Son Vivian died a hero: "A longtime member of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, he collapsed and died after rescuing the crew of a small boat that had capsized in Long Island Sound. ''He tried all his life to live down this unfair, sissified image'' -- Vivian was the model for the lace-collared, curly-locked hero of Fauntleroy -- ''and he died a hero,'' said George Graf, a former commodore of the yacht club."[/quote]

Not sure of a connection with Burnett's real life son Vivian, but I recall Colin's desire to keep his improvement a secret from his father until his father returned so that he could prove to him in person that he was not an invalid. For a boy, meeting or exceeding the expectations of his father can be an important aspect of developing a secure male identity. Clearly Colin wanted to his father to be amazed and to force him to re-evaluate his son, and that this reaction would contribute to his healing and development.

giselle wrote:Not sure of a connection with Burnett's real life son Vivian. . .

Good point, giselle. Colin may have been modeled after Burnett's son Lionel, who died in 1890 and whose statue is at the foot of her grave; and Dr. Craven's desire for wealth may have been modeled on her doctor ex, whom I think she had supported.

Tom

I did the whole thing on audio.

It's a marvelous story. Although I did see the movie, I didn't appreciate the story until I heard it read from text.

Thomas, thanks for your moderation.

And thanks so much for Kay's reading skills.

WildCityWoman wrote:I did the whole thing on audio.

It's a marvelous story. Although I did see the movie, I didn't appreciate the story until I heard it read from text.

Carly, stay a while. We have the whole of January to generalize on The Secret Garden. Futher discussion would be a wonderful opportunity to clarify issues that are important to members of BookTalk -- religion, atheism, superstition, magic (wicca, etc.), occult influences, spiritualism, mythology, health through Nature, the influence of Theosophy in Western philosophy and art, politics, mind cure, discrimination, class differences, feminism, affirmations, . . . . At this moment, there is discussion of the CBS Poll on Superstitution and of Donne's St. Lucy poem about alchemy, astrology, and occult influence. The Secret Garden brings all these things together. Plus, I haven't seen any of the movies, and I'd like to know about the extensions to the text make in the movies, in addition to Krishna's throat.

I am into such things as the Yi Jing, Dao De Jing, Tai Xuan Jing, feng shui, synchronicity, reading the signs, gardening, and have a special relationship with a cat who considers me to be her kitten. As I remember, you were making affirmations about an appartment building. Do you think the program of child care implied by The Secret Garden would really work?

Tom

Yesterday, my Mary arrived. I stopped by the nursing home to visit my hysterically incapacitated Aunt Emily, who has come to believe that her back is broken and that she will die if she moves, even to feed herself. A man was putting heavy socks on her, and apparently he is the person in charge of physical therapy there.

"Roll over this way," he ordered. Emily frowned and got red in the face, but he rolled her over anyway, out of her dead-as-a-log position.

"Now you are going to sit up," he said. Emily began to sing, "I'm going to fall, I'm going to fall. . . ."

"Have I let you fall before?" he asked, and pulled her up into sitting position and sat her on the side of the bed. After another chorus of "I'm going to fall, I'm going to fall. . . ." (nothing about back pain, note) he made her stand up on her own legs and sit in a special rolling chair for transport to the physical therapy room. I have never been able to get her to do anything except I insisted that she break her dead-as-a-log act and wave to me when I visited, and this guy -- who's undoubtedly had a great deal of practice -- had her simi-mobile in short order. Most impressive. I think she might eventually recover enough to get out of nursing home if only to get away from the physical therapy

Tom

Thank you Tom, I am pleased for you and for Aunt Emily.

It just seems to take the right person, with the right attitude, a sort of 'forceful compassion????'.

Penelope wrote:It just seems to take the right person, with the right attitude, a sort of 'forceful compassion????'.

Penelope, my opinion is that my aunt would not be in this fix if it were not for the thoughtless compassion showered upon her. She found that she could get sympathy and attention from her aches and pains, real or imaginary, and her condition snowballed to a total incapacity as she wallowed in self-pity. Being allowed to enjoy total incapacity for two months has definitely set her back, but her health still appears good enough that recovery is possible, thanks to this new-found Mary.

Compassion, yes, but not without judgment.

Tom