# "The Giving Tree" - What a horrible lesson it teaches **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190 "2012-09-19T16:58:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/81 "2012-09-20T16:15:46Z")
Come boy. Come sit down. Sit down and rest. And the boy did. And the tree was happy. Because it stuck a huge splinter in the boy’s ass and he died of septicemia. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/82 "2012-09-20T16:17:03Z")
> [@smokey78](#): > > Has anyone mentioned about Shel Silverstein not too very fond of kids? I know nothing of the sort. I know that he hated most children’s literature, and I agree with him to a certain extent on that. There’s nothing in his work or biography that suggests to me he doesn’t like kids. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/83 "2012-09-20T16:49:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I know nothing of the sort. I know that he hated most children’s literature, and I agree with him to a certain extent on that. There’s nothing in his work or biography that suggests to me he doesn’t like kids. [Salon Friday, May 28, 1999](http://www.salon.com/1999/05/27/shel/) > [@](#): > > Shel Silverstein is best known for his award-winning children’s books, which is ironic, given his lack of patience for children themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/84 "2012-09-20T16:52:07Z")
A couple of weeks ago, something reminded me of this book, and it occurred to me that it might be fun to rewrite it to depict a mutually _beneficial_ relationship instead. I’d gone from seeing it as a one-sided relationship that the tree was happy with and isn’t that wonderful? to interpreting it as a justification for exploitation. I checked out the book and looked over it once again, and this time, over 40 years after I first read it, I saw it as a melancholy depiction of a mutually destructive relationship. I always wondered how Silverstein, whose poems and songs I’ve so often admired, could write such a distasteful story, but now I see that he’s pulled off the ingenious trick of making me think I’m thinking to distract me from the fact that he was actually making me think. I’m going to go sit on a stump and contemplate that some more… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/85 "2012-09-20T17:55:00Z")
> [@smokey78](#): > > Has anyone mentioned about Shel Silverstein not too very fond of kids? That he was childless? Also, it is not true Silverstein was childless. He had two children: Shoshanna and Matt. It is true that he wasn’t exactly a model father, though. > [@](#): > > Shel Silverstein is best known for his award-winning children’s books, which is ironic, given his lack of patience for children themselves. An unsourced, random quote in Salon proves nothing to me. My impression is that Silverstein didn’t have much patience for anyone and was a free spirit. I never got any indication that he didn’t like children in particular, and, in fact, in his writings I think he treated children with more respect than most children’s authors. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/86 "2012-09-20T18:11:39Z")
> [@smokey78](#): > > Has anyone mentioned about Shel Silverstein not too very fond of kids? That he was childless? > > And this book expressed his sentiment. Hey, I’ve happily read books by authours who hated people generally. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/87 "2012-09-20T18:13:15Z")
The interesting thing I’m finding is that my favorite children’s authors (Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak) are all described at some point as not liking children. The best I could find of any of these authors in their own words, is in a Colbert report interview, where Sendak says “I like them as few and far between as I do adults — maybe a bit more, because I really don’t like adults at all.” I imagine Silverstein being in this mold, but maybe I’m wrong. (Not that it matters to me; the work is still exemplary, even if “The Giving Tree” is not my favorite work of his.) I’d be interested in finding a first-hand quote of somebody describing his distaste towards children, not a repeated notion that he didn’t like kids, as if that’s a fact everyone knows. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/88 "2012-09-20T18:29:04Z")
Personally, I thing Silverstein’s masterpiece was _Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book_. It’s hilarious and should on no account be given to a small child. It includes instructions on how to make a voodoo doll of your teacher, a “coupon” for a free pony, and truly great ABZ entries, like: > [@](#): > > O IS FOR “OZ” > > Do you want to visit the wonderful, far-off land of OZ, where the Wizard lives and scarecrows can dance and the road is made of yellow bricks and everything is emerald green? > > Well you can’t, because there is no land of OZ and there is no Tin Woodsman **AND THERE IS NO SANTA CLAUS!** > > Maybe someday you can go to Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![smokey78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@smokey78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smokey78)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/89 "2012-09-20T18:52:37Z")
Silverstein once said, “Don’t be dependent on anyone else—man, woman, child, or dog. I want to go everywhere, look at and listen to everything. You can go crazy with some of the wonderful stuff there is in life.” I didn’t see where he said he liked children, but I think it was a rival publication mentioned this—rhymes with “Gentle Gloss.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/90 "2012-09-20T19:24:15Z")
> [@smokey78](#): > > Silverstein once said, “Don’t be dependent on anyone else—man, woman, child, or dog. I want to go everywhere, look at and listen to everything. You can go crazy with some of the wonderful stuff there is in life.” Yes, that’s one of his more famous quotes, and is congruent with what my impression of him is, and with what I’ve been stating so far. **Scupper** - Yep, that’s my favorite one, too. It’s also one of Silverstein’s favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/91 "2012-09-20T19:59:55Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > [Salon Friday, May 28, 1999](http://www.salon.com/1999/05/27/shel/) Is that what passes as a cite these days? “Some guy said so.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/92 "2012-09-20T20:00:46Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > Personally, I thing Silverstein’s masterpiece was _Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book_. It’s hilarious and should on no account be given to a small child. > > It includes instructions on how to make a voodoo doll of your teacher, a “coupon” for a free pony, and truly great ABZ entries, like: Too funny! But yeah, not one I’d give a child. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/93 "2012-09-25T18:17:38Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Freaky that you came up with the same parallel titles that I used four years ago… Not surprising; try googling [“The Taking Boy”](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22The+Taking+Boy%22) and you’ll see many folks have independently come up with it. The youtube video that comes up as the first hit is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/94 "2012-09-25T18:24:07Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Wood you do that? These puns are way too mulch! ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/95 "2012-09-25T19:00:12Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > The parent-child relationship analogy is completely lost on me. My parents would sooner gnaw their own legs off than sacrifice something personal for one of their kids. I…um…speaking of analogies that get lost somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/96 "2012-09-25T20:15:15Z")
I always thought the point was that unconditional love is not easy. I’m not a Christian, but when it says in the Bible that if someone strikes you on the cheek, you should offer him the other cheek instead – that’s not an easy thing to do and the intended message is not “people who hit you on the cheek are jerks”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/97 "2012-09-25T22:44:07Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I always thought the point was that unconditional love is not easy. I’m not a Christian, but when it says in the Bible that if someone strikes you on the cheek, you should offer him the other cheek instead – that’s not an easy thing to do and the intended message is not “people who hit you on the cheek are jerks”. Nitpick: You should offer the other cheek also, not instead. As I understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/98 "2012-09-25T22:45:46Z")
> [@jas09](#): > > don’t even get me started on hop on pop! deviate! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/99 "2012-09-25T23:12:17Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Nitpick: You should offer the other cheek also, not instead. > > As I understand it. It is an almost universally misunderstood quote. The other cheek it suggests isn’t the one on your face. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190/100 "2012-09-26T00:18:58Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I always thought the point was that unconditional love is not easy. I’m not a Christian, but when it says in the Bible that if someone strikes you on the cheek, you should offer him the other cheek instead – that’s not an easy thing to do and the intended message is not “people who hit you on the cheek are jerks”. [Depends](http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1678) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-giving-tree-what-a-horrible-lesson-it-teaches/635190.md?page=6)