Lauren+M~Mary

 == Mary and Ko==

 After reading __The Secret Garden__ by Frances H. Burnett, and __So Far From The__ __Bamboo Grove__ by Yoko Kawashima Watkins , I noticed that Mary and Ko are very different but have a lot of similarities too. They share some similar character traits for very different reasons. Mary, a young girl, lived in India for the first part of her life. Being ignored and unloved, she didn’t care much when she found out every one in her house has passed away in the last day from a terrible sickness. Her unknown uncle decided to take her in. So, Mary moved to England in to her uncle’s mansion. While she was there, Mary changed as a person and became nicer. On the other hand, Ko is a 16-year-old Japanese girl. After leaving her home in Korea behind, to flee from the war, she became very responsible and learned a lot about herself. Selfish is a good way to describe Mary. After hiding from the world behind a shut door, Mary finds out every one in her house has died in the last day, and Mary, being an unloved little girl didn’t think anything of it. The deadly sickness left the house empty and sent Mary to England where her unknown uncle would keep her. Not given much attention to in India, her home land, she threw tantrums and talked back to her maids and helpers. No one enjoyed her presences. But after weeks Mary came to her senses and became nicer. As a result, Mary became very kind. Giving a lonely boy attention, she learned a lot about friendship. She stayed with Colin in his dark room all day, playing games and looking at pictures. Mary created character and her smile and heart grew. One day, Martha her main maid, told the girl of a secret garden, locked up from the world and its people for 10 years because of her unknown, aunts death in it. Mary, being a determined child, wanted to find the hidden door and buried key. She desperately looked, making friends and becoming nicer on the way. Determination fits Mary like a glove, for a girl who wants nothing more than to find the secret garden, it defiantly fits! The determination made her search long and hard for the secret garden and it’s beauty that lies beyond its door. Ko showed a lot of unselfishness when she jumped on Yoko, her younger sisters, head when she started to throw up. Ko, risking her and her family’s lives, muffled the sound from the Korean communist army when they were passing. Ko is very unlike Mary for this reason, while Mary was rude, selfish and talked back to the people who took care of her, Ko was risking her life to keep her family safe. Although they do have differences, they also have some similarities. Just like Mary, Ko is very determined, but for a very different reason. To get her family to safety in Seoul and then to Japan is what Ko is focused on. She desires to get away from the Korean attackers and bring her family to safety taking a big role on the way. To get out of the mess there in and stay safe from the danger around them is very important to Ko. Similar to Mary, Ko is also kind. Playing a huge part in her young sisters life, and protecting her along their hard journey brings out her real personality, and kindness. Digging through garbage cans and stealing and bribing people, just so she was sure her family was alright and going to live. Ko might not be trustworthy but she’s definitely kind. While Mary and Ko do have similarities, not every one can be the same! That means these two characters do have differences. These two young ladies share these similarities because of their experiences in life. Mary and Ko might have a lot of differences but are very alike in there hearts. By: Lauren Macarro