The Giving Tree
I have always been a fan of this book:
The Giving Tree
The story of a little boy. And a tree.
And their life together.... the boy eating apples (then selling apples), the boy swinging from branches (then using the branches to build a house), the boy ultimately cutting down the tree to build a boat.
Some find the book heartwarming, portraying a story of unconditional love.
Some find the story sad, weird, even sadomasochistic.
(do a Google search on the book and you'll uncover a whole variety of opinions)
At any rate, an article about The Giving Tree recently appeared in The Week:
Take a look at what the article says:
For its fans, the book is a parable about the beauty of generosity, and the power of giving to forge connection between two people. For its detractors, the book is an irresponsible tale that glorifies maternal selflessness, even as the maternal figure is destroyed in the process. Despite the tree being reduced to a stump, the book declares in its final lines, "the tree was happy" — a line that has made many mothers wince.
And......
The Giving Tree is not actually a happy book about giving, but a meditation on longing and the passing of time. The boy and the tree are just like the rest of us: they can't get no satisfaction. They are trapped in a co-dependent relationship — to use a psychological phrase —with the boy as the narcissistic taker and the tree as the compulsive enabler. Neither can break away from this pattern, which is why the ending is so tragic.
Co-dependency?
Narcissism?
Compulsive enabler?
Wow.
One thing for sure, the author's photo in the book is borderline nightmarish:
Out for now.....
Matt
