Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree

Think about the thing in your life, that constant. That one person or thing that has helped and shaped you and that has always been there for you. The boy’s constant is the tree. That one thing or person that he always came back to even when he was old. In “The Giving Tree”, Shel Silverstein uses the tree as a unifying device for character development and theme.

The first way Shel Silverstein develops the characters is by the two characters affecting each other in two different ways. The boy has been affected by the tree by the boy making the tree give him items, which makes the boy greedy. The tree was affected by the boy’s actions and became a stump at the end of the book. For example the boy went back to the tree after he had gotten

The theme is that because the tree has a great bond with the boy and can’t let go of that even when the boy has taken everything from the tree. It also is the theme because the boy keeps coming back because he needs/wants something from the tree like when we go to are parents for something we need/want. Some examples from the book are that the trees keeps giving things to the boy so the boy could be happy. “...Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy” The tree keeps saying “then you will be happy” The tree only benefits by the boy being happy, but really the tree doesn't benefit at all. But even in the end of the book the boy gets too old to do anything. The boy goes and sits with the tree which is now a stump and the tree is finally happy.

“The Giving Tree” has shown theme and character develop through two of the main characters of the book. The theme has developed the character by showing how the boy has connected with the tree and how the tree connected to the boy. So in the end why don’t you go and give that constant or the person that has been there. That has given you support, to tell them thank