Gardens of Empire, Eden and Passion in Charlotte Wood’s The Submerged Cathedral

In this essay, the first devoted to The Submerged Cathedral, I argue that gardens and their features are among the most enduring and important aspects of the text. In the novel, the most ideal garden can help fulfil a need to belong and to create a home, not through the imperialistic and dominating impulses that underlie, for instance, botanical gardens, but through an awareness of, and openness towards, the land. In particular, the creation of an Australian garden is emblematic of the characters' meaningful interaction with their country and their loved ones

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