經驗所淬的純真：在法蘭西絲．霍森．柏納特的《祕密花園》中重建童年

Abstract

在童年研究中，學者們常將童年的純真視為一種過於理想化、靜態且空白的狀態。本論文運用盧梭和洛克的哲學，挑戰了這一概念，重新解讀了法蘭西絲．霍森．柏納特的小說《秘密花園》。書中的三位兒童角色：迪肯、瑪麗和科林各自呈現了不同模式的童年純真。迪肯代表了愛德華時代理想的童年純真，但同時也揭示了其局限性。相比之下，瑪麗和科林的變化展示了純真如何通過與人和環境的互動被重建，並提出了「經驗所淬的純真」的可能性。這種結合純真與經驗的重新詮釋，不僅有助於《秘密花園》的文學學術研究，也展現了未來研究的潛力。

Scholars of critical childhood studies often view childhood innocence as an overly idealized slate of blankness. Through Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, this thesis challenges this notion by drawing upon the philosophical perspectives of Rousseau and Locke. The novel’s three main child characters, Dickon, Mary, and Colin, each present a different model of childhood innocence, demonstrating a nuanced exploration of the concept. While Dickon embodies the Edwardian ideal of childhood innocence, he also reveals its limitations. In contrast, the transformative journeys of Mary and Colin demonstrate how childhood innocence can be regained through interactions with people and the environment, suggesting the possibility of an “experienced innocence.” This reinterpretation not only contributes to literary scholarship on The Secret Garden but also illustrates the potential of future research through the concept of regaining innocence.