Shel Silverstein The Giving Tree Analysis

The Giving Tree, written by Shel Silverstein in 1964, is a poem that starts off with a little boy who’s best friend is a tree that plays with him, gives him apples, and provides him shade when he gets tired. As the story goes on, the little boy grows up and stops playing with the Tree. He returns after a while and asks the Tree for money but she can’t so instead she gives him all her apples to sell for money. He gladly takes them without saying thank you. After a very long time, he comes back again to ask the Tree if she can give him a house. She tells him she cannot. Instead she gives him all of her branches so he can built himself a house. The Boy leaves the Tree once again for a very long time. When he returns, he asks the Tree for a boat
and she gives him her trunk. After a long time, the Boy comes back old and tired. The Tree sadly tells him she has nothing left to give him. He says he doesn’t really need anything anymore. So the Tree tells him to come sit on her stump to sit and rest. The story ends with the Tree being happy that even with nothing left to give she could still give the Boy something. The theme of this story is children should give back and not always ask to receive things. Silverstein shows this through his use of diction, mood and symbolism. Silverstein uses very childish diction with deeper meaning that an adult would understand.
He writes in this poem about needing money, a house, and transportation. In the poem when the Tree asks the Boy to come climb her trunk and play with her, he says, “I am too busy to climb trees…/ I want a house to keep me warm…/ I want a wife and I want children,/ and so I need a house./ Can you give me a house ?” (line 44-48). With his use of words children can understand having a family and living together in a house. But children don’t think of wanting those things, adults do. A child cannot relate to wanting a loved one, child, or a house. Silverstein’s use of diction shows that children should not ask to receive in such demanding ways. He writes the questions the Boy asks in a way of disrespect. He writes, “I want some money?”, “Can you give me a house?”, and “Can you give me a boat?” (line 27, 68, 48). They are simple, but meaningful because they are demanding in tone. “Writers choose words to create and convey a typical mood, tone and atmosphere to their readers.”(literary.net) The diction of the questions showing a very demanding tone is to give the reader a sense of sadness that The Boy is so selfish. He wants money to “buy things and have fun” which shows he's in the teenage stage where children ask their parents for money to spend (line 25). He then asks for a house but his reasoning is so he can get a wife and have children. This shows the Boy is in the Early Adulthood
stage. The Boy finally asks for a boat that “will take [him] far away from here” because he's old and sad where he finally reaches his final stage Middle Adulthood mostly known as the stage where mid-life crisis happens (line 67). Every time he asks for something and receives it, but he never says thank you. During a kids childhood parents usually tell them to always say thank you and give back to others. Because the questions are so demanding, they represent a sense of disrespect and that if someone asks for something without ever giving back they will be left with nothing in the end. The diction or word choice also effects the mood the reader is given from the poem.
“All literature creates some sort of feeling in the reader, whether it is positive, negative, or neutral.” (.com) In this poem Silverstein gives different moods straight forward word for word. He tells us when the Tree is sad or happy, which helps the reader connect with the Tree. For example, after the Boy had been gone for a very long time and returns to ask for more, the Tree doesn’t think of how much he has taken from her. She is just over come with happiness as Silverstein describes, “the tree shook with joy” (line 41). This gives the reader the mood of happiness because the reader can feel the Tree’s enjoyment of reuniting with the Boy. Although there are also times where the mood is sad and depressing. Every time the Boy leaves the Tree is happy she can give him something that makes him happy, but after a while the reader can feel the Tree feeling used. When the Boy asks for the boat and she is left as a stump all alone instead of the normal line Silverstein uses; “And the Tree was happy.” He says, “And the tree was happy/ …but not really,” which shows how sad the Tree is that every time she gives the Boy something he ends up leaving her (line 76-77). The mood is also very sad when the Boy returns as an old man and the Tree says, “I wish that I could give you something…/ but I have nothing left./ I am just an old stump./ I am sorry…” (line 95-98). Silverstein uses diction to help
promote different moods throughout the poem. The different moods show the theme that children should give back because the mood is happy when the Tree can help, but when the Boy doesn’t play with her in return or even say thank you the mood becomes sad and depressing. From sad and happy moods in the poem, there is also symbolism. “[Symbolism] is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.” (.com w/ dash). There are two main symbols in the poem; the Tree and the Boy. The Tree symbolizes a parent/guardian and the Boy symbolizes children. The Tree is seen as a parent because she cares for the Boy throughout the whole poem. When the Boy needs something the Tree provides and provides over and over again. The Tree is also there for the Boy from a little and energetic boy, till he is old and tired. The Boy is seen as a child or children in general for many reasons. He is to represent children because the book is a children’s book so it is easy to relate the Boy to the readers. He also is seen as the symbol for children because when he needs help he goes to the Tree which represents parents. The symbolism in the poem proves that the theme is children should give back to their parents and not always ask. The theme of The Giving Tree is that children should give back to and not always ask to receive, shown by Silverstein’s use of diction, mood, and symbolism. His word choice shows the ages of the Boy, how demanding the Boy is, and how giving the Tree is. With his word choice he portrays different moods throughout the story. He goes from happy to sad, but only shows those moods through the Tree. Finally he uses two strong symbols. The Boy representing children and the Tree representing a parent/guardian figure.