The Selfish Giant

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Summary

A Giant had a beautiful garden where children loved to play while he was abroad for seven years. When he returned, he was upset to find the children in his garden, so he built a wall around it and put up a sign threatening anyone who entered without his permission. From then on, the children were forced to play on the dusty, hard road. Because of this selfish act, Spring, Summer, and Autumn stopped visiting the Giant’s garden, leaving only Winter.

As the months passed, the Giant became puzzled as to why the seasons did not change. One morning, he finally heard a bird singing in the garden. When he looked out the window, he saw that the children had sneaked back in, causing Spring to return and the trees and flowers to blossom again. However, Winter still remained in one part of the garden where a little boy was crying because he couldn't reach up to climb a nearby tree. The Giant realized that his selfishness had caused Spring to avoid his garden. He felt very sorry and resolved to destroy the wall so the children could play there whenever they wanted.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888)

But when the Giant went into the garden, the children ran away, afraid of him, except for the little boy who was still crying. The Giant gently picked him up and helped him into the tree, which immediately burst into bloom and filled with singing birds. The little boy then kissed the Giant for helping him.

The Giant tore down the wall and let the children play in the garden as much as they wanted. When evening came and the children had to go home, the Giant looked for the little boy who had kissed him, but he was nowhere to be found. The other children did not know who he was or where he lived. Many years passed before the Giant saw the little boy again.

At the end of the story, the Giant was old, and it was Winter in his garden again. He looked out of the window and saw a golden tree with silver fruit and white flowers. Under this golden tree was the little boy he loved best of all the children. Filled with joy, he ran down to meet him but then turned angry because the child had wounds in his hands and feet. The Giant demanded to know who had hurt his friend. The little boy told him not to be angry, explaining that the wounds in his hands and feet represented divine love: he was Christ, and to reward the Giant’s generosity, he had come to take him to God’s garden, which is Paradise.

References

Analysis

The short story "The Selfish Giant" is a Christian tale that conveys the message that selfishness leads to misery. The story begins with the Giant refusing to let children play in his garden, building a wall around it to keep them out. He justifies his actions by saying, "My own garden is my own garden, anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." The garden symbolizes the Giant’s heart. As a result of his selfishness, Spring does not visit the garden, and only Winter, Hail, Snow, and Frost remain, mirroring the coldness in the Giant's heart.

Despite achieving his goal of enjoying the garden alone, the Giant is unhappy. He wonders when Spring will come: "I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming," he says, as he sits at the window and looks out at his cold white garden; "I hope there will be a change in the weather." Spring represents a time of renewal and beauty, as well as Easter, which commemorates Jesus' resurrection—a time when love and sacrifice are remembered.

Spring only returns to the garden when the children are allowed back in to play. The Giant's heart softens, and like the weather, it becomes beautiful again:

One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the King's musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world..” “.And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out."

This story highlights the importance of community over isolation. When isolated, the Giant is unhappy, but by opening his heart and his garden to the children, he finds joy and fulfillment.

In the end, the Giant is rewarded for his change of heart and his newfound generosity. The little boy, who is revealed to be Christ in disguise, bears the marks of crucifixion: "For on the palms of the child's hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet." Recognizing Christ, the Giant is redeemed and welcomed into Paradise. This signifies that he has been accepted into the Christian community and heaven.

The story uses symbols to convey its message. The garden represents the Giant’s heart; the wall symbolizes his attempt to guard himself and keep others out. The changing seasons reflect the state of the Giant’s heart—Spring and Summer bring beauty and life, while Winter represents his selfishness and isolation. The story demonstrates that when the Giant allows the children, symbols of innocence and goodwill, into his garden, he is redeemed. The adverse weather and the absence of fruit in the garden illustrate how selfishness drives others away: “But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant’s garden she gave none. 'He is too selfish,' she said."

We can all relate to this moral, understanding that unkindness and selfishness can lead to isolation, while generosity and kindness foster community and bring joy.

Questions To Think About

1. When was the last nice deed you did for someone? What was it and why?
2. Did you think it was nice of the Selfish Giant to keep the children from playing in his garden?
3. How did the Giant try to be nice to the children towards the end of the story?
4. How did the Giant change from the beginning of the story to the end?

Word Scramble!

Unscramble the words below to discover key words from the story. Click to find out the answers!

INGSPR
Template:SPRING

ECLHNDRI
Template:CHILDREN

NGEARD
Template:GARDEN

EHRAT
Template:HEART

VEOL
Template:LOVE

SHELIFS
Template:SELFISH

SIPRDAAE
Template:PARADISE

LWREOSF
Template:FLOWERS

SOSLMOSB
Template:BLOSSOMS

ANTIG
Template:ANTIG