The Giving Tree

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Cover to The Giving Tree, depicting the tree giving away an apple.

The Giving Tree, first published in 1964, is a children's book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. This book has become one of Silverstein's best known titles and has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Contents

[edit] Storyline

The Giving Tree is a tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in a forest. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit, apples to eat, branches with which to build a home. As the boy grows older he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut her down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns and the tree says, "I have nothing left to give you." The boy replies, " I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree then says, "Good! A tree stump is a great place to do just that! Come boy, sit down and be happy." The boy obliged and the tree was happy.

[edit] Analysis

Ever since the book was published, it has generated controversy and opposing opinions for its interpreted messages, on whether the tree is selfless or merely self-sacrificing, and whether the boy is selfish or reasonable in his demands of the tree. The story clearly shows childhood as being a time of relative happiness in comparison to the sacrifice and responsibility of adulthood. The story only uses the word "need" at the end to describe the "boy's"/old man's need of a place to rest- all of his other desires are "wants."

A review of The Giving Tree: A Symposium shows some academic readers describing the book as portraying a vicious, one-sided relationship between the tree and the boy: with the tree as the selfless giver and the boy as a greedy and insatiable entity who constantly receives, yet never gives anything back to the tree; a selfish love that could be misrepresented and imitated by its young readers. Indeed, some of these speakers single the tree out as an irresponsible parent whose self-sacrifice has left the boy ill-equipped. Other readers argue that the tree gives everything to the boy freely because she loves him, and its feelings are reciprocated by the boy when he returns to the tree for a rest. In this way, the relationship between the tree and the boy as he grows up could be viewed as similar to that between a mother and her child; despite getting nothing in return for a long time, the tree puts the boy's needs foremost, because it wants him to be happy. Indeed, the only time the tree ever seems to be sad is when it feels that it has nothing left to give the boy and that the boy might never return.[1]

As Ben Jackson, a professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University put it:

“ Is this a sad tale? Well, it is sad in the same way that life is depressing. We are all needy, and, if we are lucky and any good, we grow old using others and getting used up. Tears fall in our lives like leaves from a tree. Our finitude is not something to be regretted or despised, however; it is what makes giving (and receiving) possible. The more you blame the boy, the more you have to fault human existence. The more you blame the tree, the more you have to fault the very idea of parenting. Should the tree's giving be contingent on the boy's gratitude? If it were, if fathers and mothers waited on reciprocity before caring for their young, then we would all be doomed. ”

Jackson, linking the story to the human condition, asserts that readers ought to identify with both the boy and the tree.

[edit] References in popular culture

  • The Giving Tree was parodied by the webcomic The Perry Bible Fellowship in a strip titled "The Unforgiving Tree", in which a caption read "apologies, Silverstein".[2] The comic has since been removed without explanation.
  • The mewithoutYou music video for their song "Bullet to Binary" shows the boy in his various stages of life. In it he is shown taking an apple, branches, and finally resting on the stump as an old man.
  • One of Bart Simpson's chalkboard gags is, "The Giving Tree was not a chump."
  • A reading of The Giving Tree is featured in the song "Glenbrook" from the EP Bike by electronic composer Christ.
  • Minnesota-based jam band group Wookiefoot references The Giving Tree in "Giving Tree (Taking Boy)," a pro-environment acoustic ska-punk number found on their 2006 album ACTIVATE.
  • In an interview on KDWB Radio in Minnesota on Friday, December 12, 2008 Will Smith mentioned this book and its author as a prime example of how he tries to teach his children gratitude.
  • In the episode "Petergeist" of Family Guy, Herbert asks a walking tree "Are you a Giving Tree or a Receiving Tree". In a different episode, Peter, when he was in school, younger, says, "My report is on The Giving Tree".
  • College Humor made a parody of The Giving Tree which they entitled "The Really, Really Giving Tree".[3] It features the boy, unnamed in the cartoon, continuously taking things from the tree without thanking it. At the end of the cartoon, the boy (now an adult) testifies against the tree in court, and asks it for $50 as it is cut in half with a chainsaw.
  • The Giving Tree was parodied in the Robot Chicken episode "But Not In That Way" with the Giving Tree voiced by Hulk Hogan and the boy (named Jerry here) voiced by Seth Green. As Jerry's life goes on, he reaches adulthood where he wants the Giving Tree as an addition to his house. The Giving Tree tells him to go to the other Giving Tree across the field since he's "having termite problems." That tree turned out to be the Raping Tree as the Giving Tree makes fun of Jerry as he is being raped by the Raping Tree.
  • It has been suggested that The Giving Tree is referenced in the song "Kids" by MGMT.
  • In the episode "The Giving Tree" on Friday Night Lights, Landry compared the book to his friendship with Tyra (Landry as the unselfish giver, Tyra as the selfish boy).
  • The book Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw features The Giving Tree. The main character Greg remembers his father reading him the book at bedtime. Then Greg sees a picture of Shel Silverstein on the back and it terrifies him so he does not get out of bed.
  • "Patricia von Pleasantsquirrel," the title-character of a James Proimos' children's book, reads "The Giving Tree" to her pet goldfish. "After a long discussion they decided they had no idea what it was really about." [4]
  • Lorin Maazel has written a symphonic work based on "The Giving Tree": The Giving Tree for Orchestra, Cello Obligato and Narrator, Op. 15.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Giving Tree: A Symposium from FirstThings.com
  2. ^ "The Unforgiving Tree" from PBFComics.com
  3. ^ The Really Giving Tree from College Humor
  4. ^ Patricia von Pleasantsquirrel, by James Proimos, Dial Books, 2009.
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