The Therapeutic Landscape In Holden's Therapeutic Landscape

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Therapeutic landscapes are places of healing. A crucial distinction to make is that between a landscape that an individual finds therapeutic qualities in and a landscape that is therapeutic, wherein a wide range of individuals find healing in and the landscape inherently possess therapeutic qualities (Baer and Wilbert 404). Holden’s therapeutic landscape is defined with ambivalence. From Holden’s perspective, his landscape would be defined as one that reflects his desire to preserve innocence. In the real world, his ideal space is the Central Park lagoon. Within the park, the ducks are symbols of innocence that appear during significant milestones in Holden’s journey to maturity. The lagoon, however, is tainted when Holden contemplates whether …show more content…

Ultimately, this is Holden’s therapeutic landscape given that it is a space for him to heal and eventually re-enter the adult world. On the other hand, the garden itself within The Secret Garden can be classified as a cultivated natural therapeutic landscape. What makes the garden truly remarkable as a therapeutic is its role in Mary’s coming of age, considering that prior to Mary’s exposure to the garden she was raised without an appropriate adult role models but nonetheless reached emotional maturity. In addition, the garden is considered a true therapeutic landscape due to its role in healing not only Mary, but also Colin and Archibald …show more content…

Mary’s displacement due to Colin also serves as a conduit for a feminist reading of the work (Knoepflmacher). Although owned by Archibald Craven, the garden is nurtured by Mrs. Craven and later restored by Mary. Women take on the traditional role of the nurturing caretaker. Additionally, the development of both children has been heavily influenced by their genders. Whereas Mary’s coming of age has been reflected in the shift of her physical appearance from “the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen” to a healthy, normal child, Colin’s development is represented through his transition from a sickly boy to an aspiring athlete (Burnett 1). By the conclusion of the novel, The Secret Garden’s narrative has shifted from Mary to

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