The Giving Tree

[Seshi]

This book by Shel Silverstein was a gift to my toddler. I cried the first time I read it, thinking it was a sad, horrible book. But I’ve been asked to read it multiple times by my insisting toddler over the past year and seem to have gotten over it being so sad. Maybe it was an emotional shock when I first read it, or that I felt strongly because I miss my childhood, and felt sadness for the passing of time as I read the story?

Has anyone else read this children’s story? How do you relate to it?

[Illusion of Terra]

Didn't know the story but just read it since it seemed interesting. I think in general it is a great story!

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but: The only thing is, and that probably goes for most children's stories, that I'm not sure how much children can get from it. The underlying message is quite complex I think and you have to think quite hard about what actually is happening to get it. I think the story is a great start for a debate though, because people will have quite different reactions to the underlying message.

[Seshi]

I agree, the reactions seem to vary quite widely. My hubby for instance said the selfish boy should have got a job and built his house in the woods near the tree so that his kids and grandkids could play in the tree. 

I was like.. I didn’t think anything like that at all but I can see why he went there.

[Illusion of Terra]

I see, so your husband probably interprets the tree as a mother which is quite likely I think. But his solution works though!

I'm wondering what does your kid think about it?

[Seshi]

@Illusion of Terra Hubby is thinking about it like “what would I do”. Possibly considering the tree in a motherly aspect (I do). 

My daughter just had her 2nd birthday in January, so it’s too early for me to tell. But she likes all of the bits of the story. She won’t let me stop at the happy part.

[Seshi]

Just re-read the giving tree and noticed, never once does it say the boy was happy.

So I thought the relationship was interesting between the “giving” tree and the correlation of happiness/ boy taking & unhappiness.

The boy had never worked for anything, but kept taking everything that the tree gave him. The tree on the other hand was always giving & nearly always happy.

So many different ways to look at the narrative 

[Illusion of Terra]

That's an interesting take, I didn't even notice that. I guess the moral of the story is to give away your organs and body parts