Why did Mr. Craven lock the secret garden?

After his wife died, he could not bear the sight of the garden she had loved. He locked the door and buried the key.

How did Mrs. Craven die?

The book says she was sitting on a branch of a tree in the garden when it broke and she fell. She died the next day.

Why is Mr. Craven always away from home?

He is so sad about his wife’s death that he travels from place to place and does not stay at Misselthwaite. He also finds it painful to look at his son Colin, who has her eyes.

From The Secret Garden

Archibald Craven

Grieving estate master • Seeking lost joy

Mary’s uncle, the quiet, sad master of Misselthwaite Manor, who is often far away.

Who is Archibald Craven?

Archibald Craven is Mary’s uncle and Colin’s father, the master of Misselthwaite Manor. He has been deeply sad for ten years since his wife died, so he locked her garden and traveled far away. Though he seems distant, he is gentle with Mary and gives her a bit of earth to plant. In the end, a dream and a kind letter call him home to his son.

Archibald Craven is a character in The Secret Garden, the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Archibald Craven like?

Sorrowful
Gentle
Loving

Archibald Craven’s story

Archibald Craven is the master of Misselthwaite Manor and Mary’s uncle. He is a stooped, sad man who has been grieving since the death of his wife, Lilias, ten years before. He cannot bear to look at his son, who has his mother’s eyes, so he travels from place to place and stays away from home.

When Mary first meets him, he tells her to ask for toys, books or whatever she likes and to go and play outside. Mary asks for something unusual, a bit of earth, and he is touched, because it reminds him of Lilias. He tells her she can take as much as she wants and make it come alive. Then he leaves on another trip.

One day, far away in the mountains, he feels a change and hears what seems to be his wife’s voice calling from the garden. A letter from Susan Sowerby also asks him to come home. He travels back, runs into Colin at the garden door and finds that his son is well.

“take it, child, and make it come alive.”

Archibald Craven, giving Mary permission to garden. From the original 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

A moment to remember

As Colin races out of the garden door, he crashes right into his father, and Mr. Craven kneels on the gravel to hug his strong, laughing boy.

Colin Craven: his son
Mary Lennox: his niece
Mrs. Medlock: his housekeeper
Susan Sowerby: the mother who writes to him
Ben Weatherstaff: his old gardener

Talk about it

Mr. Craven felt so sad that he stayed away from home. What can families do to help each other when someone feels very sad?

Questions about Archibald Craven

Why did Mr. Craven lock the secret garden?: After his wife died, he could not bear the sight of the garden she had loved. He locked the door and buried the key.
How did Mrs. Craven die?: The book says she was sitting on a branch of a tree in the garden when it broke and she fell. She died the next day.
Why is Mr. Craven always away from home?: He is so sad about his wife’s death that he travels from place to place and does not stay at Misselthwaite. He also finds it painful to look at his son Colin, who has her eyes.