The Giving Tree Imagery

The Giving Tree Imagery

The Tree Is a She

Right from the very beginning, the tree is situated through pronoun use as a female. The tree is variously described using “she” and “her.” This feminine imagery is essential to interpretations in which the tree becomes a metaphor for a mother or just women in general.

The Man Remains a Boy

When the boy is first introduced, he is just that: a boy. As the story progresses, he transforms into a young adult and then into middle age before ending up an elderly man. Despite his aging, the tree remains consistent in her mode of address: she always calls him “boy.” This imagery of the man remaining always a boy is essential for an interpretation in which the tree is a metaphor for the boy’s mother since many mothers always view their sons through the lens of boyhood. The arrested development of the male character through a repetitive reference to him as a boy also applies, however, to readings of a more expansive gender-based relationship in which men exploit and take advantage of females regardless of their age.

Gender Roles

Consistent with the metaphorical interpretation based on underlying gender inequality is the way that the story specifically identifies the expectations of gender roles. The tree never leaves the forest, which it explicitly identifies as her “home.” Meanwhile, the boy stars out by imagining himself a king before growing up to sell things, build a home and enjoy leisure activities like boating. The maternal aspect of the tree remains always in place whereas the boy is offered opportunities that the tree (she) will never be given.

Personification

The single most important overriding example of imagery in the story is the personification of the tree. Were the story limited merely to a fantasy within the boy’s head that the tree is alive and capable of loving him, the myriad interpretations would be limited. By endowing the tree with the power of speech and giving it specifically maternal aspects, the relationship between the two is made more tangible and open to interpretation beyond merely what the boy may think is real. In addition, by personifying the tree instead of making the story about the relationship between a boy and his mother, the story can be opened to interpretation beyond the most obvious metaphor of the tree as a symbol of motherhood.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page