Allusions In The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree; a Religious View

The Giving Tree was first published in 1964 by Harper & Row and was written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. Silverstein was a controversial children’s book author due to his long connotation with Playboy and his lack of patience around families. Despite this, Silverstein sold more than ten million copies of The Giving Tree. It remains a classic picture book. It has a prominent green cover but the words and pictures are black and white and displayed in a minimalistic way. There are many interpretations of what the actual relationship of the boy and tree is based on. A mother and son’s bond is one that always circulates through discussions, but a religious view is an interesting way to interpret this book. God is portrayed as the tree giving the young child who grows into adulthood, his unconditional love with little to no return. There are also many biblical allusions from the

In the creation story of Adam and Eve the apple is showcased as a sign of sin. The apple can be linked to the claim that the boy is committing a sin due to taking the trees (Jesus’s) unconditional love and not realizing how extraordinary the gift really is. The boy never says thank you to the tree for all it has done for him. The tree in the story does not have much, but the apples and the wood from its trunk. Despite this the tree wants the boy to be content and sacrifices for him like Jesus did. At one point in the story the boy asks the tree for money. The tree states, “Take my apples, boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have the money and be happy” (Silverstein, Shel). This proposes that if the tree is Jesus Christ, he is willing to give all he has for his followers, which is ultimately done through the crucifixion. Jesus cannot give his disciples money even when they are desperate because he was poor, but he helps them in other ways including his own