The purpose of this study is to explore Shel Silverstein's complex and highly controversial book The Giving Tree from a different lens which incorporates the theories of the contemporary French philosopher Michel Serres. This investigation will highlight that this widely popular tale is not merely a narrative about giving as the title unequivocally implies, but it is also a story about happiness. Indeed, the theme of happiness, which has only been mentioned in passing by researchers such as Richard Neuhaus and Jean Elshtain, appears to be the central focus of this short story for children. Specifically, the progressive disenchantment of the character "Boy" throughout the narrative compels the reader to ponder whether the modern world is conducive to any type of genuine or lasting happiness at all. Moreover, regardless of the debatable intentions of this reclusive author, The Giving Tree is a poignant representation of the parasitic relationship that the alienated modern subject ha...
Journal
The Looking Glass : New Perspectives on Children's LiteratureISSN
1551-5680Volume
20Issue
1Publisher
La Trobe UniversitySection Title
Alice's AcademyAuthor Biography
Keith Moser is Associate Professor of French at Mississippi State University. He is the author of five books including The Encyclopedic Philosophy of Michel Serres: Writing the Modern World and Anticipating the Future, A Practical Guide to French Harki Literature, J.M.G. Le Clezio: A Concerned Citizen of the Global Village, J.M.G. Le Clezio dans la foret des paradoxes (co-editor with Bruno Thibault), and 'Privileged Moments' in the Novels and Short Stories of J.M.G. Le Clezio: His Contemporary Development of a Traditional French Literary Device.
Moser has also contributed more than forty essays to peer-reviewed publications such as The French Review, The International Journal of Francophone Studies, Romance Notes, Dalhousie French Studies, Les Cahiers Le Clezio, Modern Language Review, French Cultural Studies, Forum for Modern Language Studies (Oxford UP), Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment (Oxford UP), and The Pennsylvania Literary Journal.Date Created
2017-11-08Rights Statement
Essays and articles published in The Looking Glass may be reproduced for non-profit use by any educational or public institution; letters to the editor and on-site comments made by our readers may not be used without the expressed permission of that individual. Any commercial use of this journal, in whole or in part, by any means, is prohibited. Authors of accepted articles assign to The Looking Glass the right to publish and distribute their text electronically and to archive and make it permanently available electronically. They retain the copyright and, 90 days after initial publication, may republish it in any form they wish as long as The Looking Glass is acknowledged as the original source.Data source
OJS data migration 2025: https://ojs.latrobe.edu.au/ojs/index.php/tlg/article/view/863
