The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. It was first published in 1964 and is still widely available.

Related Topics:
Book - Written - Illustrated - Shel Silverstein - 1964

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It is a moral tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in the forest and how the tree helps the boy with his needs throughout his life. Like many of Silverstein's works, it involves anthropomorphism of an inanimate character, in this case, a tree. It is a story of sacrifice, as the Tree yields all of her resources (apples, wood, shade) to the boy until the Tree is merely a stump. While the Tree desires only the boy's company, the boy has other desires throughout his life that take him away from his childhood "friend." Ultimately, the story comes full circle as an aged boy returns requiring only a place to sit -- which the tree, now an old stump, is overjoyed to provide.

Related Topics:
Tree - Anthropomorphism

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See also: The Giving Tree about the movie

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