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The Giving Tree

March 03, 2023

The Giving Tree is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. First published in 1964 by Harper & Row, it has become one of Silverstein's best-known titles, and it has been translated into numerous languages.

The Giving Tree
The cover, depicting The Giving Tree offering an apple to the Boy
AuthorShel Silverstein
GenreChildren's picture book
PublisherHarper & Row
Publication date
October 7, 1964 (58 years old)
ISBN978-0-06-025665-4
Followed byWho Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? 
The Giving Tree Garden

This book has been described as "one of the most divisive books in children's literature"; the controversy stems from whether the relationship between the main characters (a boy and the eponymous tree) should be interpreted as positive (i.e., the tree gives the boy selfless love) or negative (i.e., the boy and the tree have an abusive relationship).

Background

Silverstein had difficulty finding a publisher for The Giving Tree.[1][2] An editor at Simon & Schuster rejected the book's manuscript because he felt that it was "too sad" for children and "too simple" for adults.[1][2] Tomi Ungerer encouraged Silverstein to approach Ursula Nordstrom, who was a publisher with Harper & Row.[1]

An editor with Harper & Row stated that Silverstein had made the original illustrations "scratchy" like his cartoons for Playboy, but that he later reworked the art in a "more pared-down and much sweeter style."[3] The final black-and-white drawings have been described as "unadorned… visual minimalism."[4] Harper & Row published a small first edition of the book, consisting of only 5,000–7,500 copies, in 1964.[5]

Plot

The book follows the lives of an apple tree and a boy, who develop a relationship with one another. The tree is very "giving" and the boy evolves into a "taking" teenager, a middle-aged man, and finally an elderly man. Despite the fact that the boy ages in the story, the tree addresses the boy as "Boy" his entire life.

In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches, carving "Me + T (Tree)" into the bark, and eating her apples. However, as the boy grows older, he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit her only when he wants material items at various stages of his life, or not coming to the tree alone (such as bringing a lady friend to the tree and carving "Me +Y.L." (her initials, often assumed to be an acronym for "young love") into the tree. In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him parts of herself, which he can transform into material items, such as money (from her apples), a house (from her branches), and a boat (from her trunk). With every stage of giving, "the Tree was happy."

In the final pages, both the tree and the boy feel the sting of their respective "giving" and "taking" nature. When only a stump remains for the tree (including the carving "Me + T"), she is not happy, at least at that moment. The boy returns as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once more. She tells him she is sad because she cannot provide him shade, apples, or any materials like in the past. He ignores this (because his teeth are too weak for apples, and he is too old to swing on branches and too tired to climb her trunk) and states that all he wants is "a quiet place to sit and rest," which the tree, who is weak being just a stump, could provide. With this final stage of giving, "the Tree was happy."

Reception

Interest in the book increased by word of mouth; for example, in churches "it was hailed as a parable on the joys of giving."[1] As of 2001, over 5 million copies of the book had been sold, placing it 14th on a list of hardcover "All-Time Bestselling Children's Books" from Publishers Weekly.[6] By 2011, 8.5 million copies of the book had been sold.[2]

In a 1999–2000, National Education Association online survey of children, among the "Kids' Top 100 Books," the book was 24th.[7] In the 2007 online "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" poll by the National Education Association, the book came in third.[8] It was 85th of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[9] Scholastic Parent & Child magazine placed it #9 on its list of "100 Greatest Books for Kids" in 2012.[10] As of 2013, it ranked third on a Goodreads list of "Best Children's Books."[11]

Interpretations

There are numerous interpretations of the book, including:[12][13]

Religious interpretation

Ursula Nordstrom attributed the book's success partially to "Protestant ministers and Sunday-school teachers", who believed that the tree represents "the Christian ideal of unconditional love."[14]

Environmental interpretation

Some have interpreted the tree as Mother Nature and the boy represents humanity. The book has been used to teach children environmental ethics.[15] An educational resource for children describes the book as an "allegory about the responsibilities a human being has for living organisms in the environment,"[16] Lisa Rowe Fraustino states that “some curricula use the book as a what-not-to-do role model."[13]

Friendship interpretation

One writer believes that the relationship between the boy and the tree is one of friendship. As such, the book teaches children "as your life becomes polluted with the trappings of the modern world — as you 'grow up' — your relationships tend to suffer if you let them fall to the wayside."[17] Another writer's criticism of this interpretation is that the tree appears to be an adult when the boy is young, and cross-generational friendships are rare.[17] Additionally, this relationship can be seen from a humanities perspective, emphasizing the need for helping each other.[18]

Mother–child interpretations

A common interpretation of the book is that the tree and the boy have a mother–son relationship, as in a 1995 collection of essays about the book edited by Richard John Neuhaus in the journal First Things.[19] Among the essayists, some were positive about the relationship; for example, Amy A. Kass wrote about the story that "it is wise and it is true about giving and about motherhood," and her husband Leon R. Kass encourages people to read the book because the tree "is an emblem of the sacred memory of our own mother's love."[19] Other essayists put forth negative views. Mary Ann Glendon wrote that the book is "a nursery tale for the 'me' generation, a primer of narcissism, a catechism of exploitation," and Jean Bethke Elshtain felt that the story ends with the tree and the boy "both wrecks."[19]

A 1998 study using phenomenographic methods found that Swedish children and mothers tended to interpret the book as dealing with friendship, while Japanese mothers tended to interpret the book as dealing with parent–child relationships.[12]

Interpretation as satire

Some authors believe that the book is not actually intended for children, but instead should be treated as a satire aimed at adults along the lines of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift.[20][21]

Criticism and controversy

Elizabeth Bird, writing for the School Library Journal, described The Giving Tree as "one of the most divisive books in children's literature".[22] Criticism revolves about the depiction of the relationship between the boy and the tree.[23]

Totally self-effacing, the 'mother' treats her 'son' as if he were a perpetual infant, while he behaves toward her as if he were frozen in time as an importunate baby. This overrated picture book thus presents as a paradigm for young children a callously exploitative human relationship — both across genders and across generations. It perpetuates the myth of the selfless, all-giving mother who exists only to be used and the image of a male child who can offer no reciprocity, express no gratitude, feel no empathy — an insatiable creature who encounters no limits for his demands.

Winter Prosapio said that the boy never thanks the tree for its gifts.[24] In an interview with Horn Book Magazine, Phyllis J. Fogelman, an editor with Harper & Row, said the book is "about a sadomasochistic relationship" and "elevates masochism to the level of a good",[3] which mirrors Mary Daly's analysis in Gyn/Ecology: the Metaethics of Radical Feminism.[25]

One college instructor discovered that the book caused both male and female remedial reading students to be angry because they felt that the boy exploited the tree.[26] For teaching purposes, he paired the book with a short story by Andre Dubus entitled "The Fat Girl" because its plot can be described as The Giving Tree "in reverse."[26]

Some readers may interpret the book against the wider background of Silverstein's interactions with women, e.g., that he frequented the Playboy Mansion and Playboy Clubs, and allegedly, according to his biography A Boy Named Shel,[27] slept with hundreds, perhaps thousands of women.[28]

Christopher Westley writing for the Mises Institute describes the tree-boy relationship as similar to a socialist or communist government that extracts far too much from its citizens while not providing anything back in return. He describes this unsustainable and parasitic relationship as something toxic and ought to be avoided at all costs; regardless of whether on an individual level, such as two lovers, or a parent and child, or on the level of voter to his or her government.[29]

Ruth Margalit further relayed the damaging message that mothers sometimes have by receiving The Giving Tree as a gift; she quotes children's-book author Laurel Snyder who said, "When you give a new mother ten copies of ‘The Giving Tree,’ it does send a message to the mother that we are supposed to be this person."[30]

Author's photograph

 
Photograph of Silverstein that is used on the back cover of the book.
 
Photograph of Silverstein that is used on the back cover of Where the Sidewalk Ends.

The photograph of Silverstein on the back cover of the book has attracted negative attention, with some people finding it frightening.[22][31][32]

This photograph and the attention it received was touched upon in the children's novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by author Jeff Kinney. Protagonist Greg Heffley states that the photograph of Silverstein on the back cover of The Giving Tree terrified him as a child, and that his father would exploit this fear, saying to his son that if he got out of bed at night, he would "probably run into Shel Silverstein in the hallway".

Cultural influences and adaptations

Other versions

A short animated film of the book, produced in 1973, featured Silverstein's narration.[33][34]

Silverstein also wrote a song of the same name, which was performed by Bobby Bare and his family on his album Singin' in the Kitchen (1974).[35]

Silverstein created an adult version of the story in a cartoon entitled "I Accept the Challenge."[36] In the cartoon, a nude woman cuts off a nude man's arms and legs with scissors, then sits on his torso in a pose similar to the final drawing in The Giving Tree in which the old man sits on the stump.[36]

Jackson and Dell (1979) wrote an "alternative version" of the story for teaching purposes that was entitled "The Other Giving Tree."[20] It featured two trees next to each other and a boy growing up. One tree acted like the one in The Giving Tree, ending up as a stump, while the other tree stopped at giving the boy apples, and does not give the boy its branches or trunk. At the end of the story, the stump was sad that the old man chose to sit under the shade of the other tree.[20]

Cultural influences

The Giving Tree Band took its name from the book.[37] Plain White T's EP Should've Gone to Bed has a song “The Giving Tree,” written by Tim Lopez. The 2010 short film I'm Here, written and directed by Spike Jonze, is based on The Giving Tree; the main character Sheldon is named after Shel Silverstein.[38]

In the A&E drama series Bates Motel, antagonist Norma Bates references The Giving Tree when describing parenthood: “Parents do not have needs. You ever read the book “The Giving Tree”? It's about a tree, and this kid keeps coming and taking stuff from it his whole life, until there's nothing left but a stump. And then the kid sits on the stump. That's being a parent.”[39]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cole, William (September 9, 1973). "About Alice, a Rabbit, a Tree...". The New York Times. p. 394.
  2. ^ a b c Paul, Pamela (September 16, 2011). "The Children's Authors Who Broke the Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Marcus, Leonard S. (March–April 1999). (PDF). Horn Book Magazine. 75 (2): 148–164. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-08. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  4. ^ Spitz, Ellen Handler (1999). Inside Picture Books. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 142–144. ISBN 0300076029.
  5. ^ Natov, Roni & Geraldine DeLuca (1979). "Discovering Contemporary Classics: an Interview with Ursula Nordstrom". The Lion and the Unicorn. 3 (1): 119–135. doi:10.1353/uni.0.0355. S2CID 146597466. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  6. ^ Roback, Diane, Jason Britton, and Debbie Hochman Turvey (December 17, 2001). "All-Time Bestselling Children's Books". Publishers Weekly. 248 (51). Retrieved May 18, 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ National Education Association. . Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  8. ^ National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  9. ^ Bird, Elizabeth (May 18, 2013). . School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  10. ^ "Parent & Child 100 Greatest AND Books for Kids" (PDF). Scholastic Corporation. 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  11. ^ "Best Children's Books". Goodreads. 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Pramling Samuelsson, Ingrid; Mauritzson, Ulla; Asplund Carlsson, Maj; Ueda, Miyoko (1998). "A Mother and a Friend: Differences in Japanese and Swedish Mothers' Understanding of a Tale". Childhood. 5 (4): 493–506. doi:10.1177/0907568298005004008. ISSN 0907-5682. S2CID 145264069.
  13. ^ a b Fraustino, Lisa Rowe (2008). "At the Core of The Giving Tree's Signifying Apples". In Magid, Annette M. (ed.). You Are What You Eat: Literary Probes into the Palate. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars. pp. 284–306. ISBN 9781847184924.
  14. ^ Marcus, Leonard S. (May 15, 2005). "'Runny Babbit': Hoppity Hip". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  15. ^ Goodnough, Abby (April 16, 2010). "The Examined Life, Age 8". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  16. ^ Fredericks, Anthony D. (1997). "26. The Giving Tree". The Librarian's Complete Guide to Involving Parents Through Children's Literature Grades K-6. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. p. 28. ISBN 1563085380.
  17. ^ a b Belkin, Lisa (September 8, 2010). "Children's Books You (Might) Hate". "Motherlode: Adventures in Parenting" blog. New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  18. ^ Cousin, Ertharin (1 April 2015). "The Giving Tree: A Modern-Day Parable of Mutual Responsibility". Michigan Law Review. 113 (6): 767–776. JSTOR 24770801. ProQuest 1672624312.
  19. ^ a b c May, William F.; Amy A. Kass; Marc Gellman; Midge Decter; Gilbert Meilaender; Mary Ann Glendon; William Werpehowski; Timothy Fuller; Leon R. Kass; Timothy P. Jackson; Jean Bethke Elshtain; Richard John Neuhaus (January 1995). . First Things. The Institute on Religion and Public Life. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  20. ^ a b c Jackson, Jacqueline & Carol Dell (1979). "The Other Giving Tree". Language Arts. 56 (4): 427–429. JSTOR 41404822.
  21. ^ Strandburg, Walter L. & Norma J. Livo (1986). "The Giving Tree or There is a Sucker Born Every Minute". Children's Literature in Education. 17 (1): 17–24. doi:10.1007/BF01126946. S2CID 143366143.
  22. ^ a b Bird, Elizabeth (May 18, 2012). "Top 100 Picture Books #85: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  23. ^ Spitz, Ellen Handler (May–June 1999). "Classic children's book". American Heritage. 50 (3): 46. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  24. ^ Prosapio, Winter (May 12, 2006). "A Lesson from 'The Giving Tree'". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  25. ^ Daly, Mary (1990). Gyn/Ecology: the Metaethics of Radical Feminism. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 90. ISBN 0807014133. Here is a model for masochism for female readers of all ages, and of sadism for boys of all ages...The saccharine sweet story of a little boy who 'loves' a tree—a young Apollo who crowns himself with her leaves—has 'healthier' appeal than overt S and M biblical tales of a dead godman crowned with thorns.
  26. ^ a b Juchartz, Larry R (December 2003 – January 2004). "Team Teaching with Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein in the College Basic Reading Classroom". Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 47 (4): 336–341.
  27. ^ Lisa Rogak, 2007, A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein, Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 9780312539313
  28. ^ See, e.g., Ruth Margalit, ""The Giving Tree" At Fifty: Sadder Than I Remember, The New Yorker, 5 November 2014, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/giving-tree-50-sadder-remembered
  29. ^ Westley, Christopher (14 October 2004). "That Insufferable "Giving Tree"". Mises.org. Mises Institute. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  30. ^ Margalit, Ruth (5 November 2014). ""The Giving Tree" at Fifty: Sadder Than I Remembered". The New Yorker. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  31. ^ Kogan, Rick (July 12, 2009). "'SHELebration: A Tribute to Shel Silverstein' to Honor Writer Born in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  32. ^ Ruhalter, Eric (January 11, 2010). "Children's books that creep me out: What was up with 'Natural Bear?'". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  33. ^ Bosustow, Nick, and Shel Silverstein (Producers); Hayward, Charlie O. (Director and Animator); Silverstein, Shel (Original Story, Music, and Narration) (1973). The Giving Tree (VHS). Chicago, IL: SVE & Churchill Media. OCLC 48713769.
  34. ^ "The Giving Tree: Based on the Book and Drawings by Shel Silverstein". YouTube. Churchill Films. 1973. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  35. ^ Bobby Bare and the Family (Musicians); Silverstein, Shel (Principal Composer) (1973). Singin' in the Kitchen (LP). New York: RCA Victor. OCLC 6346534.
  36. ^ a b Thomas, Jr., Joseph (2016-09-10). (PDF). The Horn Book Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-10. Retrieved 2018-11-02.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Markstrom, Serena (June 18, 2010). "Giving Tree Band Takes Story to Heart". The Register-Guard. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  38. ^ Coates, Kristen (February 8, 2010). "[Sundance Review] Spike Jonze Creates Unique Love Story With 'I'm Here'". The Film Stage. Retrieved May 18, 2013. 'I was trying to take the influence of The Giving Tree, but write about relationships,' says Jonze. 'I love Shel Silverstein. I just love him.'
  39. ^ http://www.quotes.net. (n.d.). Norma Louise Bates: Parents do not have needs. You ever read the book “The Giving Tree”? It’s about a tree, and this kid keeps coming and taking stuff from it his whole life, until there’s nothing left but a stump. And then the kid sits on the stump. That’s being a parent. [online] Available at: https://www.quotes.net/mquote/681617

Further reading

  • Moriya, Keiko (1989). "A Developmental and Crosscultural Study on the Interpersonal Cognition of Swedish and Japanese Children". Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. 33 (3): 215–227. doi:10.1080/0031383890330304.
  • Asplund Carlsson, Maj; Pramling, Ingrid; Wen, Qiufeng; Izumi, Chise (1996). "Understanding a Tale in Sweden, Japan and China". Early Child Development and Care. 120 (1): 17–28. doi:10.1080/0300443961200102.
  • Miller, Ellen (2012). "15: The Giving Tree and Environmental Philosophy: Listening to Deep Ecology, Feminism and Trees". In Costello, Peter R (ed.). Philosophy in Children's Literature. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. pp. 251–266. ISBN 9780739168233.
  • Radeva, Milena (2012). "16: The Giving Tree, Women, and the Great Society". In Costello, Peter R (ed.). Philosophy in Children's Literature. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. pp. 267–283. ISBN 9780739168233.
  • Hinson-Hasty, Elizabeth (2012). "Revisiting Feminist Discussions of Sin and Genuine Humility". Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. 28 (1): 108–114. doi:10.2979/jfemistudreli.28.1.108. S2CID 170454783.

External links

  • Lindsey, Charley (June 11, 2004). . Knight Ridder Newspapers. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  • Westley, Christopher (October 21, 2004). "That Insufferable 'Giving Tree'". Mises Daily. Ludwig von Mises Institute.

March 03, 2023
giving, tree, american, children, picture, book, written, illustrated, shel, silverstein, first, published, 1964, harper, become, silverstein, best, known, titles, been, translated, into, numerous, languages, cover, depicting, offering, apple, boyauthorshel, s. The Giving Tree is an American children s picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein First published in 1964 by Harper amp Row it has become one of Silverstein s best known titles and it has been translated into numerous languages The Giving TreeThe cover depicting The Giving Tree offering an apple to the BoyAuthorShel SilversteinGenreChildren s picture bookPublisherHarper amp RowPublication dateOctober 7 1964 58 years old ISBN978 0 06 025665 4Followed byWho Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros The Giving Tree Garden This book has been described as one of the most divisive books in children s literature the controversy stems from whether the relationship between the main characters a boy and the eponymous tree should be interpreted as positive i e the tree gives the boy selfless love or negative i e the boy and the tree have an abusive relationship Contents 1 Background 2 Plot 3 Reception 4 Interpretations 4 1 Religious interpretation 4 2 Environmental interpretation 4 3 Friendship interpretation 4 4 Mother child interpretations 4 5 Interpretation as satire 5 Criticism and controversy 5 1 Author s photograph 6 Cultural influences and adaptations 6 1 Other versions 6 2 Cultural influences 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksBackground EditSilverstein had difficulty finding a publisher for The Giving Tree 1 2 An editor at Simon amp Schuster rejected the book s manuscript because he felt that it was too sad for children and too simple for adults 1 2 Tomi Ungerer encouraged Silverstein to approach Ursula Nordstrom who was a publisher with Harper amp Row 1 An editor with Harper amp Row stated that Silverstein had made the original illustrations scratchy like his cartoons for Playboy but that he later reworked the art in a more pared down and much sweeter style 3 The final black and white drawings have been described as unadorned visual minimalism 4 Harper amp Row published a small first edition of the book consisting of only 5 000 7 500 copies in 1964 5 Plot EditThe book follows the lives of an apple tree and a boy who develop a relationship with one another The tree is very giving and the boy evolves into a taking teenager a middle aged man and finally an elderly man Despite the fact that the boy ages in the story the tree addresses the boy as Boy his entire life In his childhood the boy enjoys playing with the tree climbing her trunk swinging from her branches carving Me T Tree into the bark and eating her apples However as the boy grows older he spends less time with the tree and tends to visit her only when he wants material items at various stages of his life or not coming to the tree alone such as bringing a lady friend to the tree and carving Me Y L her initials often assumed to be an acronym for young love into the tree In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages the tree gives him parts of herself which he can transform into material items such as money from her apples a house from her branches and a boat from her trunk With every stage of giving the Tree was happy In the final pages both the tree and the boy feel the sting of their respective giving and taking nature When only a stump remains for the tree including the carving Me T she is not happy at least at that moment The boy returns as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once more She tells him she is sad because she cannot provide him shade apples or any materials like in the past He ignores this because his teeth are too weak for apples and he is too old to swing on branches and too tired to climb her trunk and states that all he wants is a quiet place to sit and rest which the tree who is weak being just a stump could provide With this final stage of giving the Tree was happy Reception EditInterest in the book increased by word of mouth for example in churches it was hailed as a parable on the joys of giving 1 As of 2001 over 5 million copies of the book had been sold placing it 14th on a list of hardcover All Time Bestselling Children s Books from Publishers Weekly 6 By 2011 8 5 million copies of the book had been sold 2 In a 1999 2000 National Education Association online survey of children among the Kids Top 100 Books the book was 24th 7 In the 2007 online Teachers Top 100 Books for Children poll by the National Education Association the book came in third 8 It was 85th of the Top 100 Picture Books of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal 9 Scholastic Parent amp Child magazine placed it 9 on its list of 100 Greatest Books for Kids in 2012 10 As of 2013 it ranked third on a Goodreads list of Best Children s Books 11 Interpretations EditThis section contains weasel words vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information Such statements should be clarified or removed April 2015 There are numerous interpretations of the book including 12 13 Religious interpretation Edit Ursula Nordstrom attributed the book s success partially to Protestant ministers and Sunday school teachers who believed that the tree represents the Christian ideal of unconditional love 14 Environmental interpretation Edit Some have interpreted the tree as Mother Nature and the boy represents humanity The book has been used to teach children environmental ethics 15 An educational resource for children describes the book as an allegory about the responsibilities a human being has for living organisms in the environment 16 Lisa Rowe Fraustino states that some curricula use the book as a what not to do role model 13 Friendship interpretation Edit One writer believes that the relationship between the boy and the tree is one of friendship As such the book teaches children as your life becomes polluted with the trappings of the modern world as you grow up your relationships tend to suffer if you let them fall to the wayside 17 Another writer s criticism of this interpretation is that the tree appears to be an adult when the boy is young and cross generational friendships are rare 17 Additionally this relationship can be seen from a humanities perspective emphasizing the need for helping each other 18 Mother child interpretations Edit A common interpretation of the book is that the tree and the boy have a mother son relationship as in a 1995 collection of essays about the book edited by Richard John Neuhaus in the journal First Things 19 Among the essayists some were positive about the relationship for example Amy A Kass wrote about the story that it is wise and it is true about giving and about motherhood and her husband Leon R Kass encourages people to read the book because the tree is an emblem of the sacred memory of our own mother s love 19 Other essayists put forth negative views Mary Ann Glendon wrote that the book is a nursery tale for the me generation a primer of narcissism a catechism of exploitation and Jean Bethke Elshtain felt that the story ends with the tree and the boy both wrecks 19 A 1998 study using phenomenographic methods found that Swedish children and mothers tended to interpret the book as dealing with friendship while Japanese mothers tended to interpret the book as dealing with parent child relationships 12 Interpretation as satire Edit Some authors believe that the book is not actually intended for children but instead should be treated as a satire aimed at adults along the lines of A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 20 21 Criticism and controversy EditElizabeth Bird writing for the School Library Journal described The Giving Tree as one of the most divisive books in children s literature 22 Criticism revolves about the depiction of the relationship between the boy and the tree 23 Totally self effacing the mother treats her son as if he were a perpetual infant while he behaves toward her as if he were frozen in time as an importunate baby This overrated picture book thus presents as a paradigm for young children a callously exploitative human relationship both across genders and across generations It perpetuates the myth of the selfless all giving mother who exists only to be used and the image of a male child who can offer no reciprocity express no gratitude feel no empathy an insatiable creature who encounters no limits for his demands Winter Prosapio said that the boy never thanks the tree for its gifts 24 In an interview with Horn Book Magazine Phyllis J Fogelman an editor with Harper amp Row said the book is about a sadomasochistic relationship and elevates masochism to the level of a good 3 which mirrors Mary Daly s analysis in Gyn Ecology the Metaethics of Radical Feminism 25 One college instructor discovered that the book caused both male and female remedial reading students to be angry because they felt that the boy exploited the tree 26 For teaching purposes he paired the book with a short story by Andre Dubus entitled The Fat Girl because its plot can be described as The Giving Tree in reverse 26 Some readers may interpret the book against the wider background of Silverstein s interactions with women e g that he frequented the Playboy Mansion and Playboy Clubs and allegedly according to his biography A Boy Named Shel 27 slept with hundreds perhaps thousands of women 28 Christopher Westley writing for the Mises Institute describes the tree boy relationship as similar to a socialist or communist government that extracts far too much from its citizens while not providing anything back in return He describes this unsustainable and parasitic relationship as something toxic and ought to be avoided at all costs regardless of whether on an individual level such as two lovers or a parent and child or on the level of voter to his or her government 29 Ruth Margalit further relayed the damaging message that mothers sometimes have by receiving The Giving Tree as a gift she quotes children s book author Laurel Snyder who said When you give a new mother ten copies of The Giving Tree it does send a message to the mother that we are supposed to be this person 30 Author s photograph Edit Photograph of Silverstein that is used on the back cover of the book Photograph of Silverstein that is used on the back cover of Where the Sidewalk Ends The photograph of Silverstein on the back cover of the book has attracted negative attention with some people finding it frightening 22 31 32 This photograph and the attention it received was touched upon in the children s novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Last Straw by author Jeff Kinney Protagonist Greg Heffley states that the photograph of Silverstein on the back cover of The Giving Tree terrified him as a child and that his father would exploit this fear saying to his son that if he got out of bed at night he would probably run into Shel Silverstein in the hallway Cultural influences and adaptations EditOther versions Edit A short animated film of the book produced in 1973 featured Silverstein s narration 33 34 Silverstein also wrote a song of the same name which was performed by Bobby Bare and his family on his album Singin in the Kitchen 1974 35 Silverstein created an adult version of the story in a cartoon entitled I Accept the Challenge 36 In the cartoon a nude woman cuts off a nude man s arms and legs with scissors then sits on his torso in a pose similar to the final drawing in The Giving Tree in which the old man sits on the stump 36 Jackson and Dell 1979 wrote an alternative version of the story for teaching purposes that was entitled The Other Giving Tree 20 It featured two trees next to each other and a boy growing up One tree acted like the one in The Giving Tree ending up as a stump while the other tree stopped at giving the boy apples and does not give the boy its branches or trunk At the end of the story the stump was sad that the old man chose to sit under the shade of the other tree 20 Cultural influences Edit The Giving Tree Band took its name from the book 37 Plain White T s EP Should ve Gone to Bed has a song The Giving Tree written by Tim Lopez The 2010 short film I m Here written and directed by Spike Jonze is based on The Giving Tree the main character Sheldon is named after Shel Silverstein 38 In the A amp E drama series Bates Motel antagonist Norma Bates references The Giving Tree when describing parenthood Parents do not have needs You ever read the book The Giving Tree It s about a tree and this kid keeps coming and taking stuff from it his whole life until there s nothing left but a stump And then the kid sits on the stump That s being a parent 39 References Edit a b c d Cole William September 9 1973 About Alice a Rabbit a Tree The New York Times p 394 a b c Paul Pamela September 16 2011 The Children s Authors Who Broke the Rules The New York Times Retrieved May 18 2013 a b Marcus Leonard S March April 1999 An Interview with Phyllis J Fogelman PDF Horn Book Magazine 75 2 148 164 Archived from the original PDF on 2013 01 08 Retrieved May 18 2013 Spitz Ellen Handler 1999 Inside Picture Books New Haven CT Yale University Press pp 142 144 ISBN 0300076029 Natov Roni amp Geraldine DeLuca 1979 Discovering Contemporary Classics an Interview with Ursula Nordstrom The Lion and the Unicorn 3 1 119 135 doi 10 1353 uni 0 0355 S2CID 146597466 Retrieved May 18 2013 Roback Diane Jason Britton and Debbie Hochman Turvey December 17 2001 All Time Bestselling Children s Books Publishers Weekly 248 51 Retrieved May 18 2013 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link National Education Association Kids Top 100 Books Archived from the original on February 1 2013 Retrieved May 18 2013 National Education Association 2007 Teachers Top 100 Books for Children Retrieved May 18 2013 Bird Elizabeth May 18 2013 Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results School Library Journal A Fuse 8 Production blog Archived from the original on December 4 2012 Retrieved August 19 2012 Parent amp Child 100 Greatest AND Books for Kids PDF Scholastic Corporation 2012 Retrieved May 18 2013 Best Children s Books Goodreads 2008 Retrieved May 18 2013 a b Pramling Samuelsson Ingrid Mauritzson Ulla Asplund Carlsson Maj Ueda Miyoko 1998 A Mother and a Friend Differences in Japanese and Swedish Mothers Understanding of a Tale Childhood 5 4 493 506 doi 10 1177 0907568298005004008 ISSN 0907 5682 S2CID 145264069 a b Fraustino Lisa Rowe 2008 At the Core of The Giving Tree s Signifying Apples In Magid Annette M ed You Are What You Eat Literary Probes into the Palate Newcastle UK Cambridge Scholars pp 284 306 ISBN 9781847184924 Marcus Leonard S May 15 2005 Runny Babbit Hoppity Hip The New York Times Retrieved May 18 2013 Goodnough Abby April 16 2010 The Examined Life Age 8 The New York Times Retrieved May 18 2013 Fredericks Anthony D 1997 26 The Giving Tree The Librarian s Complete Guide to Involving Parents Through Children s Literature Grades K 6 Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited p 28 ISBN 1563085380 a b Belkin Lisa September 8 2010 Children s Books You Might Hate Motherlode Adventures in Parenting blog New York Times Retrieved May 18 2013 Cousin Ertharin 1 April 2015 The Giving Tree A Modern Day Parable of Mutual Responsibility Michigan Law Review 113 6 767 776 JSTOR 24770801 ProQuest 1672624312 a b c May William F Amy A Kass Marc Gellman Midge Decter Gilbert Meilaender Mary Ann Glendon William Werpehowski Timothy Fuller Leon R Kass Timothy P Jackson Jean Bethke Elshtain Richard John Neuhaus January 1995 The Giving Tree A Symposium First Things The Institute on Religion and Public Life Archived from the original on May 12 2013 Retrieved May 18 2013 a b c Jackson Jacqueline amp Carol Dell 1979 The Other Giving Tree Language Arts 56 4 427 429 JSTOR 41404822 Strandburg Walter L amp Norma J Livo 1986 The Giving Tree or There is a Sucker Born Every Minute Children s Literature in Education 17 1 17 24 doi 10 1007 BF01126946 S2CID 143366143 a b Bird Elizabeth May 18 2012 Top 100 Picture Books 85 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein School Library Journal A Fuse 8 Production blog Retrieved May 18 2013 Spitz Ellen Handler May June 1999 Classic children s book American Heritage 50 3 46 Retrieved May 18 2013 Prosapio Winter May 12 2006 A Lesson from The Giving Tree The Christian Science Monitor Retrieved May 18 2013 Daly Mary 1990 Gyn Ecology the Metaethics of Radical Feminism Boston Beacon Press p 90 ISBN 0807014133 Here is a model for masochism for female readers of all ages and of sadism for boys of all ages The saccharine sweet story of a little boy who loves a tree a young Apollo who crowns himself with her leaves has healthier appeal than overt S and M biblical tales of a dead godman crowned with thorns a b Juchartz Larry R December 2003 January 2004 Team Teaching with Dr Seuss and Shel Silverstein in the College Basic Reading Classroom Journal of Adolescent amp Adult Literacy 47 4 336 341 Lisa Rogak 2007 A Boy Named Shel The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein Thomas Dunne Books ISBN 9780312539313 See e g Ruth Margalit The Giving Tree At Fifty Sadder Than I Remember The New Yorker 5 November 2014 https www newyorker com books page turner giving tree 50 sadder remembered Westley Christopher 14 October 2004 That Insufferable Giving Tree Mises org Mises Institute Retrieved 12 November 2021 Margalit Ruth 5 November 2014 The Giving Tree at Fifty Sadder Than I Remembered The New Yorker Retrieved 12 November 2021 Kogan Rick July 12 2009 SHELebration A Tribute to Shel Silverstein to Honor Writer Born in Chicago Chicago Tribune Retrieved May 18 2013 Ruhalter Eric January 11 2010 Children s books that creep me out What was up with Natural Bear New Jersey On Line Retrieved May 18 2013 Bosustow Nick and Shel Silverstein Producers Hayward Charlie O Director and Animator Silverstein Shel Original Story Music and Narration 1973 The Giving Tree VHS Chicago IL SVE amp Churchill Media OCLC 48713769 The Giving Tree Based on the Book and Drawings by Shel Silverstein YouTube Churchill Films 1973 Archived from the original on 2021 12 21 Retrieved May 18 2013 Bobby Bare and the Family Musicians Silverstein Shel Principal Composer 1973 Singin in the Kitchen LP New York RCA Victor OCLC 6346534 a b Thomas Jr Joseph 2016 09 10 Reappraising Uncle Shelby PDF The Horn Book Magazine Archived from the original PDF on 2016 09 10 Retrieved 2018 11 02 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Markstrom Serena June 18 2010 Giving Tree Band Takes Story to Heart The Register Guard Retrieved May 18 2013 Coates Kristen February 8 2010 Sundance Review Spike Jonze Creates Unique Love Story With I m Here The Film Stage Retrieved May 18 2013 I was trying to take the influence of The Giving Tree but write about relationships says Jonze I love Shel Silverstein I just love him http www quotes net n d Norma Louise Bates Parents do not have needs You ever read the book The Giving Tree It s about a tree and this kid keeps coming and taking stuff from it his whole life until there s nothing left but a stump And then the kid sits on the stump That s being a parent online Available at https www quotes net mquote 681617Further reading EditMoriya Keiko 1989 A Developmental and Crosscultural Study on the Interpersonal Cognition of Swedish and Japanese Children Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 33 3 215 227 doi 10 1080 0031383890330304 Asplund Carlsson Maj Pramling Ingrid Wen Qiufeng Izumi Chise 1996 Understanding a Tale in Sweden Japan and China Early Child Development and Care 120 1 17 28 doi 10 1080 0300443961200102 Miller Ellen 2012 15 The Giving Tree and Environmental Philosophy Listening to Deep Ecology Feminism and Trees In Costello Peter R ed Philosophy in Children s Literature Lanham MD Lexington Books pp 251 266 ISBN 9780739168233 Radeva Milena 2012 16 The Giving Tree Women and the Great Society In Costello Peter R ed Philosophy in Children s Literature Lanham MD Lexington Books pp 267 283 ISBN 9780739168233 Hinson Hasty Elizabeth 2012 Revisiting Feminist Discussions of Sin and Genuine Humility Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 28 1 108 114 doi 10 2979 jfemistudreli 28 1 108 S2CID 170454783 External links Edit Children s literature portalLindsey Charley June 11 2004 Silverstein s The Giving Tree Celebrates 40 Years in Print Knight Ridder Newspapers Archived from the original on April 13 2017 Retrieved May 18 2013 Westley Christopher October 21 2004 That Insufferable Giving Tree Mises Daily Ludwig von Mises Institute Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Giving Tree amp oldid 1137999784, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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