The Selfish Giant

Summary of the story

The story tells of a Giant who lives in a castle with a large, beautiful garden filled with soft green grass, beautiful flowers, and peach trees. Every afternoon, the children would come and play in the garden after school. One day, the Giant came back from visiting his friend the Cornish ogre, and saw the children playing in the garden. He was very angry and told the children to leave, saying that his garden was for him alone. He built a high wall around the garden and put up a notice board saying "TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED." The children were sad and had nowhere to play. The Spring came, but the garden remained in Winter all year round. The birds did not sing and the trees did not blossom. The only people who were happy were the Snow and the Frost. The Giant was very selfish and did not understand why the Spring was so late in coming. One morning, the Giant heard beautiful music and saw a blossom tree in the garden. He realized his mistake and allowed the children to come back and play in the garden. The garden returned to Spring and became a happy and thriving place once more. The Giant died shortly after being invited to the little child's garden, which was described as Paradise.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Where did the children use to play?

The children used to play in the Giant's garden.

b. What did the Snow and the Frost do to the garden?

The Snow and the Frost turned the garden into Winter, covering the grass with snow and painting the trees silver.

c. What did the Giant hear when he was lying awake in bed?

The Giant heard a beautiful music when he was lying awake in bed.

d. Why do you think spring season never came to the Giant's garden?

The Giant's garden never experienced spring because the Giant was selfish and did not allow the children to play in the garden anymore, causing the birds to stop singing and the trees to stop blossoming.

e. How did the Giant realise his mistake?

The Giant realized his mistake when he heard the beautiful music of the linnet singing outside his window and saw the blossom tree in the garden.

{' '} Reference to the context

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

a. “How happy we were there!” they said to each other.

i. Where does ‘there’ refer to?
'There' refers to the Giant's garden.

ii. What does ‘they’ refer to?
'They' refers to the children.

iii. Why are they saying so?
They are saying so because they were happy when they played in the Giant's garden.

b. “I have many beautiful flowers,” he said; “but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.”

i. Who is the speaker?
The speaker is the Giant.

ii. Who is he speaking to?
He is speaking to himself.

iii. Who are ‘the children’ that the speaker is referring to?
'The children' that the speaker is referring to are the children who used to play in the Giant's garden.

iv. Why is the speaker saying that ‘the children are the most beautiful flowers of all’

The speaker is saying that 'the children are the most beautiful flowers of all' because he has come to realize that the children bring joy and beauty to the garden and are more important than any other flowers.

c. When the little child smiled at the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play once in your garden, today you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise," shortly afterwards, the happy Giant dies. What is the coincidence of this event? Describe it in relation to this fairy tale.

The coincidence of the event in the given extract is that the Giant dies shortly after the little child invites him to come with him to his garden, which is Paradise. In the context of the fairy tale, this event signifies the Giant's redemption and transformation from a selfish and cruel Giant to a kind and generous one. It also symbolizes the Giant's realization of the value and importance of the children and their presence in the garden. The coincidence of the Giant's death after being invited to Paradise could be interpreted as the Giant finally finding peace and happiness in the afterlife.

The story makes use of personification as one of the main figures of speech. Cite three examples of personification from the story. What is the significance of the seasons personified in the story?

Here are three examples of personification from the story:

"The Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds."
"The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant's garden she gave none."
"The North Wind... roared all day about the garden and blew the chimney-pots down."

The personification of the seasons in the story is significant because it helps to illustrate the transformation that occurs in the Giant's garden. At the beginning of the story, the garden is a happy and thriving place, with the children playing there and the trees blooming. However, after the Giant becomes selfish and doesn't allow the children to play in the garden anymore, the garden becomes stuck in Winter, with the Snow and the Frost taking over and the North Wind and the Hail causing destruction. The personification of the seasons helps to show the contrast between the happy and thriving garden at the beginning of the story and the desolate and gloomy garden at the end, and it also helps to emphasize the impact of the Giant's actions on the garden and the importance of the children in bringing joy and life to the garden.

This story can be read as a fairytale, where the children, the seasons, the tree, the corner of the garden, the snow, the wind and the frost are all used as symbolism. Interpret those symbols.

Here is an interpretation of the symbols in the story:

Children: The children in the story symbolize innocence, joy, and the potential for growth and transformation. They bring happiness and life to the garden, and their absence causes the garden to become stuck in Winter.
Seasons: The seasons in the story symbolize change and the passage of time. The Spring and Summer represent growth and prosperity, while the Autumn and Winter represent decay and death. The personification of the seasons helps to illustrate the transformation that occurs in the Giant's garden and the impact of the Giant's actions on the garden.
Tree: The blossom tree in the garden symbolizes hope and the potential for renewal. The tree's brief appearance in the garden and its subsequent disappearance symbolize the fleeting nature of hope and the importance of seizing opportunities when they present themselves.
Corner of the garden: The corner of the garden where the blossom tree appears symbolizes a place of potential and new beginnings. The tree's appearance in this corner signifies the possibility of a new start and a return to joy and prosperity in the garden.
Snow: The Snow in the story symbolizes death and the end of life. Its presence in the garden signifies the absence of joy and the stagnation of the garden.
Wind: The North Wind in the story symbolizes destruction and chaos. Its presence in the garden signifies the loss of order and the negative impact of the Giant's actions on the garden.
Frost: The Frost in the story symbolizes the end of growth and the beginning of decay. Its presence in the garden signifies the end of prosperity and the beginning of a long, cold Winter.

Which figure of speech is used for ‘winter, frost, snow, north wind, hail and little child’? Who is the little child compared to?

The figures of speech used for 'winter, frost, snow, north wind, hail and little child' are personification. Personification is a figure of speech in which non-human objects or abstract concepts are given human characteristics.

The little child is compared to the paradise.

Reference beyond the text

What is the main theme of this story?

The main theme of this story is the transformative power of love and compassion. The story tells of a Giant who is initially selfish and cruel, not allowing the children to play in his garden and causing the garden to remain in Winter all year round. However, the Giant's heart is changed when he hears the beautiful music of a little linnet and sees a blossom tree in the garden, leading him to make amends and allow the children to play in the garden again. As a result, the garden returns to spring and becomes a happy and thriving place once more. This transformation is brought about through the love and compassion of the little child, who invites the Giant to come with him to his garden, which is described as Paradise. The theme of love and compassion is also reflected in the Giant's realization of the value and importance of the children and their presence in the garden, and in the contrast between the desolate and gloomy garden at the beginning of the story and the happy and thriving garden at the end.

Does God punish those who are cruel to children and very selfish?

Some people believe that God punishes those who are cruel to children and very selfish. The story of "The Selfish Giant" is an example of this. In the story, the Giant is cruel to the children and very selfish, which causes problems for himself and the garden. Because the Giant does not let the children play in the garden, the garden stays in Winter all year round and is not happy or lively. The Snow, Frost, North Wind, and Hail also cause problems in the garden. The Giant's selfishness causes the garden to be sad and not grow.