The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

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Bronte Erickson
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Re: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Post by Bronte Erickson »

When I read this as a child I felt like it was a cautionary tell about how dangerous and sad love can be , now as an adult and parent I think it's a perfect example of the bittersweet reality of what a parents love can be like
, and how beautiful it is.

-- 23 Mar 2015, 16:36 --
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sassasari
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Post by sassasari »

This is such a wonderful book to read at different points in your life. As you said you first read it when you were 30, but then there are very young children who read it as well. At each age one would make new meaning of what they are reading, as they grew so would their understanding. It is a wonderfully dynamic book; it can be appreciated by people of all ages, but the meaning grows, develops, and evolves as you grow!
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Critic
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Post by Critic »

The Giving Tree is a sad book although I don't think Shel Silverstein's vision was such. He set out to glorify the beauty of generosity and the power of giving and the connection it creates between two. But in reality it glorifies material selflessness and at the end the tree is happy even though it is left with nothing but a short stump. Story can be debated either way but all in all it is a great read as a classical.
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jessica3llen
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Post by jessica3llen »

This is a really great book. I like the idea of viewing it as a parent's love.
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Post by dhaller »

This book always hits me right in the gut.

Shel Silverstein has a backdoor access key to my soul.
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Post by teacher33 »

This book teaches such wonderful character traits. The tree gives and gives and gives no matter what is going on in the boy's life. He form a relationship with the boy and it always there to give him what he needs. I believe the author is not only portraying this idea, but also the idea of the bounty nature has to offer. Silverstein has written other poems and short works which also portray this theme.
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Alleyeb
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Post by Alleyeb »

I absolutely love this book. I just finished "The Hundred Year Flood" and was thrilled to see that "The Giving Tree" was referenced numerous times. It has sad undertones, most of which I don't think I picked up on as a child, but definitely saw when considering to buy it as a gift for a baby shower.
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Post by Bkyle »

I have always loved this book. As a child I simply understood that the tree was giving everything he could because he loved the boy. However as an adult the book takes on a whole new meaning relating to materialism. The boy is given what he thinks he needs and wants but is never truly happy. The tree is happy to give away to make others happy.
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Post by tnewman13 »

I think the book has a value as a religious book. GOD is like the tree and would do anything for us.
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10millionFireflies
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Post by 10millionFireflies »

I remember my 2nd grade teacher reading this book to the class after lunch. This was supposed to be our rest period to calm down after lunch, we always fell asleep afterwards. After she read this book you could hear all of the little 7 year olds sniffling and saying how said it was and why would the boy cut down his friend the tree. Our teacher explained that the tree loved this little boy so much that it gave everything it had to make this boy happy. I read it to my own children and both kids said "why doesn't he just get a job?", I just broke out laughing. I never thought of that.
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Post by Mfisch »

I can't remember the age I first read The Giving Tree, but I was young. Under 10 - so too young to understand the futility behind the actions of the Tree, but still old enough that any time I thought of the book, I would cry. It did not make sense to me at that age how little the boy/man did not care about what the tree was sacrificing. Growing up, the book still made me sad - because I was in a different place, and have felt like the tree more than a few times. I do believe that reading this book when I was younger allowed myself to never be to someone how the boy was to the tree.
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Post by SABernier12 »

I loved this book when I was younger because of the fun poetry paired with fun imagery. However, a year ago as a new mother, I picked up he book in my local book store and read it, and found myself sobbing! I was looking around at other patrons exclaiming "who would write this‽" and "this is the worst!". As a mother it really tugs at some heartstrings and makes you sad! Because you know you would give everything to your children, and the boy in the book took everything and more from the tree until it was too late. So sad!! Did anyone else feel this way?
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Post by pilo+ »

gali wrote:I agree with you. I have read that story to my 6 year old son and he didn't understand the man actions. He thought the tree was generous to a fault and so destroyed itself in the process. This story is about a distorted relationship and my kid understood that.

Books are powerful. It's an experience you have alone and with the characters in the book itself. It's so important for parent and mentors of children to come alongside them and navigate not only interactions in life but also the stories they are a part of.
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Post by maddierose_ »

When I was little, The Giving Tree was my favorite book. I would read it cover to cover multiple times over until I was ready for bed. I always admired the relationship between the boy and the tree and how giving the tree always was, (no pun intended). The compassion that the tree showed the boy was one of the first experiences I have seen of real, genuine love.
In my senior year of high school my English teacher gave us the opportunity to write about our favorite book and how it has shaped us into the person we are today. The Giving Tree is without a doubt the most influential children's novel I have ever read, and that is what I wrote my paper about. As I wrote this paper, I began to discover deep symbolism within the innocent novel. The relationship between the tree and the boy represents the relationship between a mother and her child. When children are young, they fully depend on their mothers and are strapped to their sides like velcro. Like the tree, a mother is a natural giver who will give their all so that their children will be satisfied. Unfortunately, they will offer so much of themselves that they have nothing left. Eventually, children grow older and will separate from their mothers. Once those children have their own families to raise, the only gift mothers want from their children is time. In the end, the tree wants the boy to give as much time to what is left of her as she did to him.

The Giving Tree taught me a very valuable lesson: the meaning of appreciating what you have. People -or trees- that hold a special place in your life need to be showed that they are appreciated and that the things that they do for others does not go unrecognized. Silverstein gave a life-long lesson in the purest forms: children and nature. This book has taught me to take everything and everyone around me into consideration and to love and cherish the people that come into my life, especially my mother.
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Post by Monjoap »

I just recently read this book to my daughter. It had a profound effect on her for all of 10 seconds I think. It made me feel sad. I felt so empty for parts of the book. I feel like you in your interpretation of the story. It is also like the Lorax. People just use what they can and then regret it later in life. We do become more wise in our older years.
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