The Lesson of Generosity

Silverstein, Shel, and Shel Silverstein. The Giving Tree. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Print. 64 pages.

“Once there was a tree…and she loved a little boy.”

In the children’s book The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein creates a unique parable about the gift of giving and the love in return. She introduces a little boy and by the end of the story he grows into an elderly man. The story begins with the boy loving the tree for what it is. The little boy would eat the tree’s apples, and swing from its branches. But as the boy grew older, he began to lose the simple enjoyment the tree provided him and began to strip the tree for resources. By the end of the story, the boy has taken everything from the tree besides its stump and the final page states that “the tree was happy”. Though the little boy only came back to the tree for things he needed, the tree was still satisfied that the boy was coming back to it. The tree never asked for something in return and never questioned the boy when he asked for something. The trees generosity is evident to the readers but went underappreciated to the boy. The boy never thanked the tree even after the tree provided him with everything he asked.

The simplicity of the images, black and white lines, make the reader focus on the text and context of the story. Few words are printed on each page, also forcing the reader to really pay attention to the context as oppose to the word flow. The simple pages make it easier for a reader to use their imagination when reading the story.

The relationship between the tree and the boy, in a religious sense, can be compared to the relationship humankind has with God. As humans go about their lives, they often ignore all that God provides for them and only go back to Him when they need something. A child might ask themselves when reading the story, “why does the tree continue giving to the selfish boy?” Though children might not know right from wrong, they do have a sense of territory and might question why the tree so easily gives to the boy.

The moral lesson this story teaches children is the lesson of generosity. After the boy essentially destroys the tree, it is important to note the tree ends up being happy that it was able to provide for the boy. This is the lesson of generosity Silverstein tried to portray.