State of the Shelanman

There are several important themes in this fable. Like many fables, myths, and other stories, the important character traits are exaggerated for emphasis. I may be wrong, but I suspect that Shel Silverstein would not want everybody to give of themselves to the point that they no longer could be anything but a stump. Instead, I feel, the point is to emphasize the value of friendship, and the great lengths a true friend should go to preserve such a deep friendship as the one between the tree and the boy.

Before you go running off repeating Chris' statements, remember I said that the important trait (in this case, friendship) is exaggerated.

One other important point. The tree-boy relationship was much healthier than the later tree-man relationship; another message in this tale is the cost involved in abandoning a friend. After all, the boy grew into a man, and he abandoned his tree-friend. This led them both down a path where the man became old, lonely and tired, and the tree became a stump; hardly a happy ending.

In my opinion, however, the reason this book is given at weddings (is it really a wedding gift? That might explain how I came to read the book when I was about 4... my parents might have had the book since their wedding, who knows) has more to do with this simple message: When both partners truly share everything with each other, they can have a deep happiness together that erodes rapidly when they become distant.

Chris? That help any? Hopefully I have demystified yet another confused author.

Either way Chris Westley, your blog entry on The Giving Tree was interesting, and got me to think about this book, one that I haven't so much as seen in at least a decade... Feel free to comment with your own thoughts.

— The Shelanman

P.S. If you've never read the book, or if you need to pick up a wedding gift for someone, here's the trusty amazon link:
The Giving Tree