The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

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The Giving Treeby Shel Silverstein

• A Book Report Presentation
• By Deana DeWitt

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Summary

• The Giving Tree is a picture book that tells
  the story of the relationship between a boy and a
  tree. The story begins when the boy is young and
  comes to gather the trees leaves to make a crown
  and play king of the forest. As the story
  continues, the boy grows. While he is still
  young, he climbs the tree, swings from her
  branches, and plays hide and seek around her
  trunk. As he becomes a teenager, he doesnt go to
  see the tree as often. The tree is lonely and
  misses the boy. When the boy is too old to play
  with the tree, she offers him her apples to sell
  for money. Later, when he wants a house, the
  tree offers her branches for him to build a home.
  Each time the man returns, the tree gives of
  herself so that he will be happy. Finally, she
  has nothing more to give. When the very old man
  returns, he doesnt need anything more from the
  tree - just a quiet place to sit and rest.

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Setting

• The story takes place where the tree is growing.
  Many seasons go by - The boy grows from a child
  to an old man, and the tree loses leaves and
  produces fruit. There is an impression that the
  tree may be in the country, because there are no
  other people around and the tree is lonely when
  the boy doesnt come to visit.

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Characters

• The Boy
• At first he is young and full of energy. He
  loves the tree. As he grows, though, he becomes
  more selfish and greedy. He takes from the tree
  without giving anything in return. In the end,
  he is old. He is satisfied to just sit and rest
  on the stump of the tree.

• The Tree
• The tree starts out big, strong, and healthy.
  She loves the boy and is completely selfless,
  giving him anything he wants so that he will be
  happy. Even after he takes everything she has,
  she still loves the man and gives him what he
  needs.

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Theme

• I think the message that Shel Silverstein wanted
  to convey through this story is the value of
  unconditional love, sacrifice, and selflessness.
  It makes you think about what it means to truly
  love somebody or something with all your heart.
  Although the reader gets a real sense of sadness
  for the tree, having lost everything to please
  somebody else, the real message is that the tree
  wanted to give to the boy and pleasing the boy is
  what made her happy.

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Recommendation

• I would definitely recommend The Giving Tree.
  It is a classic, touching story. Every time I
  read it, I think about the kind of person I
  should be. I think about what it would be like
  if everybody in the world took joy in giving to
  others. When the tree was giving to the boy, she
  was always happy.