Everlasting Love In Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree
Shel Silverstein wrote a children’s book that can be perceived through multiple critical lenses, from historical to feminist to psychological. In the Giving Tree he uses personification, metaphor, and allusions to depict the psychological impact of growing up with someone who was different than him but whom he shared a special bond with.
Silverstein begins by using personification to describe the tree's constant giving and dedication. Throughout the life of the tree, she ultimately sacrifices and gives everything she has to the boy symbolizing both compassion and love. She continues this pattern throughout her entire life and his entire life which is why Silverstein may have portrayed her as a woman. Throughout history women have been
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The tree is therefore personified as a woman in the story as she exhibits characteristics of the "maternal instinct" and though she did not give birth to the boy she takes him in as if she had. One of the main messages portrayed in the story is that unselfish everlasting love ultimately has the greatest effect on the lover not the one being loved. The mother figure/tree was deeply wounded in the long run as every time the boy came for something more, she would have to sacrifice a part of her body to make him happy or satisfy him. Psychologist Barbara Frederickson offers a psychosocial theory on the concept of everlasting love. She describes that it does not exist and ultimately any connects a human being engages in is true love if those engaging in the scene are both portraying strong positive emotions. Taking this theory as fact, it leads to a counterargument on whether or not the tree truly loved the boy or felt obligated to show feelings towards him. Either way, she along the journey of her life loved more than the boy but ultimately ended up sacrificing everything for him, once again portraying that maternal instinct. There was also a metaphor
The tree is therefore personified as a woman in the story as she exhibits characteristics of the "maternal instinct" and though she did not give birth to the boy she takes him in as if she had. One of the main messages portrayed in the story is that unselfish everlasting love ultimately has the greatest effect on the lover not the one being loved. The mother figure/tree was deeply wounded in the long run as every time the boy came for something more, she would have to sacrifice a part of her body to make him happy or satisfy him. Psychologist Barbara Frederickson offers a psychosocial theory on the concept of everlasting love. She describes that it does not exist and ultimately any connects a human being engages in is true love if those engaging in the scene are both portraying strong positive emotions. Taking this theory as fact, it leads to a counterargument on whether or not the tree truly loved the boy or felt obligated to show feelings towards him. Either way, she along the journey of her life loved more than the boy but ultimately ended up sacrificing everything for him, once again portraying that maternal instinct. There was also a metaphor