Click on the "comment" button below to leave your blog post. I suggest you type your response first in a word document, and then copy and paste it into the comment box. Your blog post should be at least 500 words of original prose (do not duplicate anything other bloggers have already said here) in which you engage with the text for the week critically AND pose an original discussion question. Be sure to write your full name and word count at the bottom of your post. The cut-off time for this blog post is Wednesday, February 5 at midnight.Discussion Leaders: Amanda L., Rainy, Chelcie, Kaitlyn, Allison, Travis, Molly, Derek, Liz
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
ReplyDeleteBefore I even open the book, memories of when I was a child come back to me. The cover shows a young boy standing below a tree waiting for an apple to fall into his hands. The cover gave me great excitement as a child and I was always excited to read this book.
It has probably been ten years since I have read this book. Reading it years later makes me think if I had the same emotions back then about it as I do now. The mood of the story changes from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. My emotions go from happy and joyful at the beginning to sad. The book displays the main character as a young boy who develops a strong friendship with a tree. As the text goes on, life moves on and the boy grows older while the tree does too. As the reader, you watch the relationship grow and change.
This book is very simple. There is no color on the pages and I believe it is done like this to show how black and white life can be. The tree and the boy are both in black ink and there isn’t much text on the majority of the pages. This is a simple story to understand and I like that it is strictly black and white. The pictures are perfectly illustrated to go along with the text and give the reader an image of their relationship and how time passes.
The tree plays as the boys best friend when he is young. This shows the imagination of a child and how they can have a ball just playing with a tree’s branches and leaves. The boy loved the tree very much and it made the tree very happy. The relationship they have is very heart warming. But in reality, people get older and life moves on. We see as the boy gets older he doesn’t spend as much time with the tree. The boy is assumed to have moved on to other hobbies other than playing outside with the tree.
As the boy grew older, he only came back to ask the tree for things. The tree got her name, giving tree because she always gave the boy what he needed. As the boy used the tree’s physical self for things to better his life, it made you feel bad. The boy would come and chop down all the trees branches so he could use it for something that he wanted. It made you wonder why the tree was doing this. It was because the tree loved the boy and was always happy to be there for him.
The story ends with the boy grown into an old man sitting on the only thing that is left of the tree, her stump. The last thing he asked of the tree was to have a seat on the stump and the tree was happy.
As I was reading this, I thought of how my childhood self felt when reading this book. I feel that I would think the tree was a great friend to the boy throughout his whole life and that was such a wonderful thing. As I get older, I look at the tree as a caretaker and friend to the boy. It makes me sad that the boy only came back occasionally to only ask the tree for something he needed.
Questions:
Do you think the tree was ever mad at the boy for taking so long to visit as he got older?
What is the primary mood of the story to the majority of readers?
Is this an important book for children to read when they are young?
Word Count: 631
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
ReplyDeleteI have no recollection of reading this book as a child, but I have seen it in recent years. In 2010, I was working at a pre-school and the children absolutely loved this book. They clearly had had it read to them at home or at school. When I picked up the book for the first time and read it to the class, I felt an overwhelming sense that the book was not complete.
To be honest, I thought “This book cannot possibly end this way.” I felt depressed because the tree had given its entirety to the greed of that little boy. I could not understand what it is those children saw in the 52 pages that was so “amazing.”
That was my first impression.
My second time reading through this text, I felt more prepared for the ending, and therefore I was not blindsided by the Giving Tree’s unfailing kindness. I noticed that as the text progressed, the tree and boy growing older, more words were added to the pages. At the beginning, there were only a handful of words and they seemed to tumble around on the page. This reminded me of what it is like to be young and run around, much like how the boy behaved.
Although the tree does not have a face, it is incredible to see the emotions that it displays with a simple twist of its branches. The book kept repeating the phrase, “And the tree was happy.” The second time through, this reminded me of a mother’s love for her child. A good mother would give up everything she had to provide comfort for her child, and that is exactly what the Giving Tree ultimately does.
As the boy grows older, he leaves, much like how a teenager would do with his mother. The tree, like a mother, would miss him while he was gone and be worried about how he was. And likely, if a mother’s child returned, whether it be from a friend’s house or college, she would be willing to give them whatever it is that would make them happy. When a child is happy, so is their mother.
When the man took the tree’s trunk to make a boat, I felt this resembled a son going off to a different city or state to start a family and a mother being happy, “but not really.”
When the elderly man returned, this is also how I pictured a reunion with a mother and son. They would simply enjoy each other’s company and be happy to be near each other.
Viewing the text in this nurturing manner, I was able to withstand the boy’s eagerness to take advantage of a tree. A mother’s love, or so they say, is unyielding.
Silverstein was able to draw out emotion from their readers, whether good or bad. The first time reading this book I felt very heated about the unfairness of the tree giving away every piece of itself, but I am now able to say that I have an appreciation for this text. The Giving Tree showed undying compassion for her friend and was willing to do anything to make him happy.
Questions:
In what ways, if any, does the boy show appreciation for the tree?
What was the overall purpose of this story?
How might children perceive this text?
Kaitlyn Kent
Word Count: 571
At first look the cover of this book reminded me of anything by Dr. Seuss. I was expecting a very uplifting, and possibly some rhyming kind of child's tale. Instead though, I was met with this somewhat depressing book of a tree who gave away all of its belongings to a boy. I put it down with this sense of disgust. What could this possibly teach children? To ask things of people and then not repay them?
ReplyDeleteThe first reading brought me to my childhood, and the many tree forts my friend and I made. We would hammer things into trees, and even cut some down to build supports for our future tree forts. Now if you look at some of our old tree forts, at least the ones that were not destroyed by storms. They have become decrepit and run down. In many cases the trees used have been killed and are no longer able to produce leaves. It brought a lot of emotion to mind. First thoughts of nostalgia and happiness of a simpler time, and then sadness for the life of a tree that my friends and I destroyed.
Upon a second reading though it gave me a sense of joy, and reminded me of my mother. When I view the tree as a mother figure it makes a lot more sense. A mother is someone who gives and gives, and we as children and then even into adulthood do not really appreciate the sacrifice a mother gives in numerous ways. This makes a lot of sense. In many instances, women are viewed as natural, and nature can be viewed with a female identity. Women are capable of creating life (with the help of a man of course), which can viewed as the most natural thing on the planet.
Back to the book. It is a tale of a child who becomes dependent on a tree, asking the tree for things, and the tree obliges. First by just giving the child some fruit and its leaves, and then its branches, and finally the trunk. The tree is left to be nothing but a simple stump. This symbolizes a mother's willing to give everything for her child, and love. All of this and the tree (mother) is still happy and content with her decisions. Many of us can easily identify with this.
Perhaps the happiest part of the story, is the end. The tree is virtually lifeless, just a mere stump, a fraction of what it used to be. Still it offers everything it has left to the boy who is now an old man. Even if it is only a place for the man to rest. This can be seen as a sad ending, but I don't think it is supposed to. It's a symbol of a mother, who even though she gave everything to see her child grow, she will always be there, even if it is just a place to rest, or a place of solitude. The best part though, is that even though the tree only had its stump to offer as a resting place. The tree is still happy.
Discussion questions:
1) Would the story be any different had the young boy been a young girl? Would it have the same impact? Would the story be different had the tree been a rock, a bush or a river? Or some other natural thing that had stuff to give? Would the story differ had it been written by a woman?
2) Is the tree just a generous being, that is just being generous, or is there a sense of love, and wanting the best possible out come for the boy?
Derek Bush
Word count: 620
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “The Giving Tree” I started to reflect on the style of the book. I thought it was interesting that Shel Silverstein decided to address the Giving Tree as “her” and “she” and labeled her the unconditional caregiver throughout the book. The book starts out innocent and happy, but then the boy grows bigger, and bigger; and so does his greed. The tree is the one who falls in love with the boy; it is also her who gets taken advantage of. The boy starts out innocently playing with the leaves that naturally fall from her and eating her delicious apples that would go to waste if the boy doesn’t enjoy them. Eventually the boy too falls in love with the tree, and the tree is happy. I think the boy was happy when they were both in love, but Silverstein never says “he was happy”, he only comments on the Tree’s happiness.
As time goes by the boy finds a new lover and begins to grow up; “And the tree was often alone”. Nobody wants to be alone, but we’ve all felt alone at one point or another. Which is why that page is powerful and sad, yet so simple. The boy comes back after a long while and the tree pleads to the boy “Come, Boy, come and climb my trunk and swing from my branches and eat my apples and play in my shade and be happy.” The boy is no longer interested in childhood play. Instead the boy wants the root of all evil, money. Now the Tree, being a tree, had no money, but wanted to help anyway she could. So she explained to the boy that he could sell her delicious apples in the city for money. This is the beginning of the self-destructive behavior of the Tree in attempt to make the boy happy.
The Giving Tree herself is symbolic of someone who loves and gives unconditionally. The boy is symbolic of our human nature to hurt those who mean the most to us. Even though the boy isn’t forcing the Tree to give him anything, he is still doing something wrong. He should recognize that the Tree has given so much to him, just for the sake of his happiness. Eventually the boy takes everything the tree has to offer except her stump. The boy can never get what he really want, which is to be happy like when he was a kid; and that makes him sad. The Tree can’t give the boy what he wants, and that makes her sad. The only time the Tree isn’t happy to see the boy is when she thinks she has nothing to give him. The ending is interesting because Silverstein lets the readers know that the Tree is happy to serve the boy one last time, but he never tells us if the boy is happy in the end; I like to think he is. Overall this story teaches its readers to appreciate the things we get, and to appreciate the finite happiness of being a child.
Discussion
Questions:
• Why do you think Silverstein decided to make the Giving Tree a girl? Do you think the story would’ve been different had the Tree been a man and the boy a girl?
• What kind of relationship would you say the Boy and the Giving Tree have? Is it equal?
• Do you think the boy ever found the same happiness he had a child? Why do you think the boy took so much without giving back, or at least planting another tree?
Travis Alcazar
Word Count: 604
Although I have never actually read Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree I have seen it many times in classrooms and bookstores. There were a few things that stood out to me while reading this book. One of the things I noticed was the simplicity of the text. The illustrations were simple as well as the actual words of the story. I also noticed how few words were on each page until a little over half way through the story. As I was reading, I wondered a bit to myself about the author’s intent by doing this. I felt as though because there were so few words on each page I was really wanting to know what the next page would say and what might happen next, even though the nature of the story is not suspenseful. I also found that because of the simplistic nature of the illustrations I really paid much more attention to what was being said.
ReplyDeleteI also felt my mood shifting as I read through the story. I had a very happy-go-lucky feeling when I first started reading. The images of the young boy playing in and around the tree brought back memories of me playing outside when I was a young child. There is something so warming about thinking about young children and how that young boy most likely did not have a care in the world; nothing to bring him down. As the boy started to get older I really was a little shocked that my mood began to change, considering it was a tree that was sad, not an actual person. We do not usually think of trees as having feelings which is why I think I was a little taken aback by my emotion. I also found that in the illustrations the tree looked more sad towards the end of the book than the beginning, even though when I went back and compared the illustrations after having read the book, there is not much difference, until the boy starts to take things from the tree. There was something so lonely looking about the tree when it had no branches and again when it was left as just a stump.
I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the girl that was with the boy sitting under the tree at one point. He did say that he needed a house in order to get a wife, but the fact that he continued to come back to the tree alone showed me that he did not end up getting married or having children. This could, however, be left up for interpretation; that is just how I saw it.
I feel like I would want to use this book in my classroom, especially with young students as it could do a very good job of teaching a lesson. The tree is constantly giving to the boy, yet the boy is never happy. I would like to know how children would react to the tree being happy even after it gave parts of herself away, just because the boy was happy. I also think it would be interesting to hear their ideas about why the boy was never happy even after the tree continued to give him things that he needed. This could lead to a discussion about how material things do not always make someone happy and emotional needs are just as important.
Discussion Questions:
Why do you think the tree was labeled as a female? Would the feel of the story change if the tree was a male? How?
How to the simplistic illustrations affect the overall dynamic of this story? How would that change if the illustrations changed?
Allison Krueger
Word Count: 617
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein depicts the life of a young boy and his relationship with a particular tree. As a children’s book, this premise can be highly relatable. However, it could also be challenged in the sense that not everyone has the same exact childhood. Referring back to Marah Gubar’s article, “Innocence,” many critics have had different ideas about childhood and the innocence that surrounds it. The Giving Tree is a strong example of the Romantic idea, “…that childhood was a separate stage of life that should be enjoyed rather than rushed through…” (Gubar 123) The young boy certainly enjoys himself throughout his childhood, which Silverstein makes apparent. She references Judith Plotz’s “Child of Nature” as well, where children are removed from the “domestic realm.” (Gubar 123) The young boy also seems to be removed from the domestic realm since the entire story takes place outside by the tree. The tree seemed to be the main focus of the story, and in a way the protagonist. No form of guidance was shown from anyone other than the tree.
ReplyDeleteGubar goes on to say that this ideology does not benefit children in the slightest. She believes that having this attitude will take away from the “…actual conditions in which they live, making it more difficult to offer the right kind of aid and assistance.” As the young boy in the story ages, the innocence is lost, as with the strength of his relationship with the tree; however, it is the tree that continues to provide him with assistance throughout his life. This enforces the belief that Gubar was expressing. The young boy was so used to relying on the tree that it ended up hindering his development. The (now) man in the story does not possess the essentials that an adult would naturally possess. The tree allows him to use its apples, branches, and entire truck to establish a life, but this ultimately harms it. The tree becomes sad that the boy has used it for material gain rather than mental stimulation. This ties into the “right kind of aid and assistance,” that Gubar was talking about. Childhood innocence is only appropriate during childhood, it will not last with time. Since the reader is unable to see any other type of assistance being given, like from a parent or guardian, one can only assume that the tree was meant to represent the primary giver, hence, the giving tree. At first I believed the tree was a symbol for childhood, but then why was it able to assist him later in life and act almost like a parent? This is still something I am debating in my head, and would really like to hear responses from other people. For example, does it represent one’s childhood and how it will always remain with us, but not necessarily benefit us when it comes to certain issues? That being said, why do you think the tree is the only one that’s shown “assisting” the young boy? Why does the boy have nothing of real value in his life? More importantly, what does the tree actually symbolize?
Word Count: 526
Discussion Questions Recap:
Why do you think the tree is the only one that’s shown “assisting” the young boy?
Why does the boy have nothing of real value in his life? More importantly, what does the tree actually symbolize?
There are many themes seen in here. The idea of one not having much in life tends to be more humble and appreciative of love. One does not expect from love, one is not greedy, or takes advantage as the boy does throughout the story. It is the beginning and end that shows the extreme age from young to old where love is valued more than anything.
ReplyDeleteThe young boy took advantage of the tree a lot in the story so much so that I was angered and sad of the tree’s neglect. This emotion can come out very well just by a black and white cartoon. An inanimate object has a discussion with a boy which can still persuade adults to believe in such a story. Children may be draw to stories where the characters are animals (similar to a tree of nature). Having an object or animal speak helps to engage the reader and spark the imagination. A young and old reader alike sympathize with such characters easily. Perhaps it is hard to sympathize with a human character as these characters have flaws like the reader does, it is hard to relate because the character is not like us. The reader has to be told how the character behaves, what conflicts arise, or be put into a situation. The tree and boy are put in a situation together but the tree is innocent. Readers understand the meaning of innocence and therefore it is easy to relate to making the situation simple. The boy and the very old boy at the end are innocent because of their disposition. There is complexity of the boy being explained as he does something the reader does not understand. He goes against the tree and ignores it’s feelings. He finds a new love, tears down the tree little by little of emotion and physical strength. The reader knows more than what the boy knows. The reader understands, is being told the effect this has on the tree and the reader’s heart strings get pulled.
I see the tree giving it’s all as a Buddhist way of life. Even through hardship, the tree wishes goodwill to the boy. In violence and negativity, the tree turns the cheek and smiles on happily until there was nothing left of itself. This goes to far and the tree could take a “stand” to ask for respect. A theme of man versus nature is seen. Perhaps this could be commentary on man’s effect on his/her environment. Man is complex and hard to understand but nature is simple and linear.
It is interesting as they both grow old and do not possess any thing, they are not capable of anything except love. The boy stays a boy. This is important as the boy grows older and “matures,” he is still a “boy.” This could be noted that he does not grow up until the very end in the reunion since he never took the time to appreciate and touch the rough texture of a tree, the softness of life.
The structure of the lines are interesting. As conflict arises, the tree owns all his/her words on one side of the page and the boy owns all his words on his side. This creates a division in their relationship. What I enjoyed in the detailing of the cartoon was explaining more of this separation as the boy takes away the trunk that says “M.E. + Y. L.” while the trunk still contains the “M.E. + T.” The tree is only left with the past and the boy has moved on.
What is the meaning of the end of the story? Does the story state that true friendship waits, is patient? Or are some people shallow and take advantage of others? When a man is humble, he appreciates?
Word 637
Chelcie Ziegler
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was little this book was read to me at Barnes&Nobles many times. This book reminds me of my childhood and all the great memories. This book is about a tree that is a girl that loves a boy who grows up and turns into an old man. The little boy loves the tree for everything that she gives him. The tree does not ask for anything from the little boy. As the boy grows older the tree gets very sad and lonely. The boy comes and goes and always is unhappy now when he sees the tree. The tree is always very happy to see the boy when he returns and always offers something of hers to make him happy. Finally, one day the boy is so old that the only thing he wants to do is sit because he is old and tired and doesn’t need much anymore. The boy sits down on the tree stump because that is the only and last thing that the poor tree can offer. To just have each other at the end seemed to be all that they needed at the end. Now that I read this book as an adult I feel like there are many meanings that could be taken away.
The first thing I noticed was the color of the cover on the book. The cover is a very bright playful lime green color and the tree is a darker shade of green. The little boy has red overalls on and a green shirt. Red and green remind me of Christmas but red is a primary color and green is a secondary color. The red stands out more prominent and is receiving the red apple that the tree is dropping. To me, this means that the little boy might be demanding of the things that he wants. The title, The Giving Tree, can foreshadow what is to come.
Another thing I noticed is the black and white sketches that Shel used throughout the book. I thought that this was very powerful for the reader. The sketches took up most of the page but it was just focused on the tree and the boy. There wasn’t anything else to distract you in the illustrations. For a young reader this would help them be focused on the meaning of the story and not be distracted by unnecessary pictures.
The dynamic between the boy and the tree is a relationship that is solely based on the wants of the boy. The tree is ever giving and as a reader it is comforting that the tree doesn’t get mad at the boy but is always happy when he returns. It’s a good book to read to students who are in your classroom to be helpful and giving to others. This may center to young children but I wonder if there were other people Shel wanted to gear this book towards. This book could be political and center towards other things in world around us.
Discussion Questions: Is there any other meanings that we could take away from this book? Why do you think Shel only used sketches throughout his book and what significance does it have while you read the book?
Elizabeth Ruimveld
Word Count: 547