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Character analysis

Martha Sowerby

in The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Martha Sowerby is a straightforward Yorkshire housemaid at Misselthwaite Manor, who brings warmth and practicality to her role, acting as the first human connection between the lonely Mary Lennox and the vibrant world beyond. When Mary arrives from India, it’s Martha who looks after her room, chats cheerfully about the moors and her big family, and refuses to coddle Mary as the spoiled invalid she expects to be — insisting, for example, that Mary get dressed on her own. This small act of rebellion against Mary's perceived helplessness plants the first seed of independence in her.

Martha's role is mainly as a catalyst: she introduces Mary to the idea of the walled garden by talking about the late Mrs. Craven's rose garden, and — importantly — she mentions her brother Dickon, whose almost magical bond with animals and plants ultimately transforms both Mary and Colin. Martha also gifts Mary a skipping rope, which encourages her to go outside and improve her health. Later, when Mary shares the secret of the garden and Colin's existence, Martha becomes a quiet confidante and messenger, passing information to her mother, Susan Sowerby, whose wise advice eventually reaches Archibald Craven.

Martha's journey is one of consistent, humble influence. She never seeks recognition, embodying the novel's Yorkshire values of hard work, common sense, and genuine cheerfulness. Her qualities — straightforwardness, loyalty, and a simple belief in the benefits of fresh air and nature — reflect the book's central theme that being open to life is a way of healing.

About this character

Form
Novel
Author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
First published
1911

The person01–03

01·Who they are

Who is Martha Sowerby?

Martha Sowerby is a young Yorkshire housemaid employed at Misselthwaite Manor, tasked with caring for the newly arrived Mary Lennox. She hails from a large working-class family in the moors, being the daughter of Susan Sowerby and the older sister to Dickon, alongside many siblings. Her upbringing influences her interactions, characterized by straightforward speech, genuine cheerfulness, and an unaffected belief that fresh air and hard work can remedy many issues. Unlike the fearful servants who maintain distance from Colin or tread cautiously around the manor's atmosphere of grief, Martha is refreshingly herself. She embodies common sense without overt deference, and Burnett presents her as proof that the moors nurture something vital and life-giving that the more pampered world lacks.

02·Arc & motivation

What is Martha Sowerby's arc and motivation?

Martha does not experience a dramatic personal transformation throughout the novel; her arc represents consistent, quiet agency. Her motivation stems from good-natured practicality: she aims to be helpful, enjoys company, and genuinely likes Mary even before Mary becomes especially likeable. When she declines to dress Mary in the early chapters, asserting that a ten-year-old can manage her own buttons, it is not a deliberate lesson in independence but rather Martha's honest response to what she finds absurd. This small refusal plants the initial seed of Mary's self-reliance. Martha's role is catalytic: she initiates various events—Dickon's involvement, the skipping rope, and eventually the communication chain reaching Archibald Craven—before stepping back without seeking credit or recognition. Her motivation reflects the same values Burnett highlights throughout the novel: openness, warmth, and a practical faith in the restorative power of the natural world.

03·Key moments

What are Martha Sowerby's key moments?

Several scenes encapsulate Martha's function in the narrative. Her refusals to wait on Mary hand and foot early in the story disrupt Mary's spoiled self-image; the shock of being expected to dress herself signifies that England will not cater to her whims. Martha's enthusiastic descriptions of Dickon—his charm with wild animals and his time spent on the moors—effectively build his character before his introduction, making him mythic and irresistible to Mary. Her gift of the skipping rope, a small purchase using money sent from home, draws Mary outside and initiates her physical recovery. Later, Martha serves as a confidante when Mary reveals the secret of the garden and acts as a quiet messenger linking Colin's sickroom to the healthier world occupied by Mary and Dickon. Susan Sowerby's wise guidance reaches the children through Martha, and she ultimately facilitates Susan's letter to Archibald Craven, drawing him back to Misselthwaite.

The cast04–05

04·Relationships

What are Martha Sowerby's most important relationships?

Martha's relationship with Mary Lennox embodies the novel's first genuine human warmth. Mary anticipates servitude, while Martha provides friendly frankness, initiating Mary's transformation. Their discussions regarding the moors and the Sowerby family offer Mary a glimpse into a life lived fully and communally, contrasting sharply with her own impoverished childhood experiences.

Her bond with Dickon is portrayed through advocacy rather than shared scenes—Martha speaks of him with profound affection, creating a pre-existing love for him in the narrative. She serves as his ambassador, making Dickon's eventual appearance feel like fulfillment instead of surprise.

Her connection with Susan Sowerby acts as a moral conduit. Susan's grounded wisdom is transmitted through Martha, affecting the children's perspectives and eventually reaching Archibald Craven during a moment of crisis.

With Colin, Martha's matter-of-fact demeanor subtly challenges the norm: while other servants treat him as a delicate tyrant, her straightforward Yorkshire approach refrains from validating his self-mythology, keeping a door open to normality.

Her navigation of Mrs. Medlock's authority illustrates Martha's cleverness—she operates within established rules while still managing to follow her warmer instincts through actions like the skipping rope.

05·Connected characters

How is Martha Sowerby connected to the other characters?

Mary Lennox

Martha is Mary's first friend and caretaker at Misselthwaite. Her refusal to coddle Mary, her stories of the moors, and her gift of a skipping rope directly initiate Mary's physical and emotional awakening.

Dickon Sowerby

Martha is Dickon's older sister and his most enthusiastic advocate. She introduces him to Mary through vivid descriptions of his animal friendships, effectively sending him into Mary's story before he ever appears in person.

Susan Sowerby

Martha's mother is her moral compass and the source of the family's grounded wisdom. Martha channels Susan's guidance to Mary and Colin, and it is through Martha that Susan's influence eventually reaches Archibald Craven.

Colin Craven

Martha is one of the few servants who tends Colin. Her matter-of-fact Yorkshire manner contrasts with the fearful deference of other staff, and she serves as a quiet link between Colin's sickroom and the healthier world Mary and Dickon inhabit.

Archibald Craven

Martha has no direct scenes with the master of Misselthwaite, but she is an indirect agent in his transformation: information she passes to Susan Sowerby ultimately prompts Susan to write to Craven, drawing him home to witness Colin's recovery.

Mrs. Medlock

Mrs. Medlock is Martha's employer and the authority she must navigate. Martha is careful not to overstep household rules, yet she consistently finds small ways — like sending the skipping rope — to act on her own warmer instincts.

Study06–07

06·Questions

Questions readers ask about Martha Sowerby

What is Martha Sowerby's role in The Secret Garden?

Martha Sowerby is a Yorkshire housemaid at Misselthwaite Manor who serves as the first genuine human connection for the newly arrived Mary Lennox. She catalyzes nearly every key development in the novel: she tells Mary about the walled garden, introduces Dickon through vivid descriptions, gifts Mary a skipping rope, and passes vital information up the chain to Archibald Craven.

How does Martha Sowerby's relationship with Mary Lennox shape the story?

Martha is Mary's first friend at Misselthwaite and the spark of her transformation. By refusing to dress Mary — insisting a ten-year-old can manage her own buttons — Martha delivers an inadvertent but decisive lesson in self-reliance. Her cheerful stories about the moors and the Sowerby family provide Mary a glimpse of life lived fully and communally, contrasting sharply with Mary's isolated upbringing.

Why does Martha refuse to dress Mary Lennox?

Martha refuses because she finds it absurd, not as a deliberate pedagogical strategy. Coming from a large working-class family on the Yorkshire moors, she cannot imagine a healthy ten-year-old needing a servant to button her clothes. This honest and practical reaction effectively disrupts Mary's spoiled self-image.

How does Martha Sowerby introduce Dickon to the story?

Martha introduces Dickon through enthusiastic description before he appears in person. She speaks of his near-magical bond with wild animals and his deep knowledge of the moors with such affection that he becomes a nearly mythic figure in Mary's imagination. By the time Dickon arrives, Martha's advocacy has already made Mary predisposed to love him.

What is the significance of the skipping rope Martha gives Mary?

The skipping rope, purchased with money sent from the Sowerby home, is a small gift with significant consequences. It lures Mary outside onto the grounds, directly beginning her physical recovery. This gesture illustrates Martha's method throughout the novel: she works within the household's rules while still finding quiet, practical ways to act on her warmer instincts.

How is Martha Sowerby connected to Archibald Craven's return to Misselthwaite?

Martha's connection to Craven is indirect but consequential. She acts as a messenger, passing information about Mary, Colin, and the secret garden to her mother, Susan Sowerby. Susan's grounded wisdom, channeled through Martha, prompts her to write directly to Archibald Craven, drawing him home to Misselthwaite at the very moment Colin has recovered — a transformation Martha helped set in motion.

Is Martha Sowerby a major or minor character in The Secret Garden?

Martha is a supporting character, but her impact is disproportionate to her page-time. She initiates nearly every chain of events that drives the plot — Dickon's arrival, Mary's outdoor life, Colin's connection to the garden, and Craven's return — yet she never seeks recognition. Burnett uses her to argue that healing is achieved through small, unrecognized acts of warmth and common sense rather than grand gestures.

What values does Martha Sowerby represent in The Secret Garden?

Martha embodies the novel's Yorkshire values of hard work, straightforwardness, and a practical faith in nature's restorative power. Her consistent cheerfulness and refusal to coddle anyone — Mary or Colin — stand in contrast to the stagnant grief of Misselthwaite Manor. Burnett positions Martha's working-class, moors-bred common sense as a moral authority superior to the fearful deference of other servants and the paralysis of the genteel adults around her.

07·Essay angles

Use this in your essay

Tool · Essay angles

  • Martha as threshold figure: Argue that Martha serves structurally as the bridge between Mary's dead, isolated world and the vibrant world of the moors—analyze what Burnett suggests about class, geography, and vitality through this lens.

  • Working-class wisdom as moral authority: Explore how Burnett positions Martha and Susan Sowerby's Yorkshire common sense above the stagnant gentility of Archibald Craven and the medical establishment surrounding Colin—what implications does this hierarchy carry?

  • The catalytic minor character: Develop a thesis on how Martha's impact is disproportionate to her page-time, revealing insights about Burnett's perspective on healing—achieved through small, unrecognized acts rather than grand gestures.

  • Nature as ideology: Martha's ongoing emphasis on fresh air, skipping, and the outdoors reflects the novel's therapeutic core—analyze her role as a spokesperson for Burnett's philosophy of natural living.

  • Female solidarity across class: Examine the network established by Martha, Susan Sowerby, and Mary—how does the exchange of information, care, and agency unfold, and what does it suggest about female power operating beneath the surface of the novel's patriarchal household?

The Secret Garden

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