The Giving Tree

About the book

Shel Silverstein’s parable follows the lifelong relationship between a young boy and an apple tree. In his childhood, the boy swings from her branches, eats her fruit, and sleeps in her shade. As he matures, his visits become driven by material needs rather than companionship. To satisfy his demands, the tree systematically gives away her apples for money, her branches to build a house, and her trunk to construct a boat. By the time the man returns in old age, the tree is a lonely stump with nothing left to offer but a place for him to sit.

Readers turn to this minimalist poem to grapple with the nature of unconditional love and the imbalance of human relationships. It serves as a stark look at the transition from childhood innocence to adult selfishness. Parents and children use the story to discuss the physical limits of altruism and the environmental consequences of consumption. The reader walks away with a heavy realization regarding the sadness of one-sided devotion and the quiet endurance of a giver who has been stripped of everything.

Details

Published

1964

Language

EN