The Selfish Giant ( a story) class 11 compulsory English By Oscar Wilde

 

Summary

"The Selfish Giant" is a short story by Oscar Wilde, first published in 1888 as part of his collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales. Here’s a summary:

The story revolves around a Giant who owns a beautiful garden. Children love playing in the garden, especially when the Giant is away. However, the Giant, being selfish, builds a high wall around his garden to keep the children out, posting a notice that trespassers will be prosecuted.

As a result, Spring stops coming to the garden, and it remains in perpetual Winter. The garden becomes bleak and cold, with no flowers blooming and no birds singing. The Giant does not understand why his garden is so desolate while the rest of the world enjoys the beauty of Spring.

One day, the children find a way back into the garden through a hole in the wall. As they play, the garden starts to bloom again, bringing back the beauty of Spring. The Giant, seeing this, realizes how selfish he has been and his heart melts. He knocks down the wall and welcomes the children back, enjoying their laughter and the return of nature’s beauty to his garden.

However, one small boy, who is different from the others, touches the Giant deeply. This boy, whom the Giant once saw struggling to climb a tree, later reappears with wounds on his hands and feet. The boy reveals that these are the wounds of love and tells the Giant that he has been invited to his garden, which is paradise. The Giant, realizing who the boy really is, is filled with peace.

Years later, the Giant is found dead in the garden, covered in blossoms, signifying that he has gone to paradise with the boy, who is implied to be a Christ-like figure. The story ends with the notion that the Giant's soul has found rest in eternal peace and beauty.

 

Long Questions

1) Discuss the transformation of the Giant's character throughout the story. What events lead to this change?

The Giant starts as a selfish character who is unwilling to share his garden with the children. His realization of the joy and beauty the children bring to the garden, and the arrival of Spring with them, leads him to understand the value of generosity and love. His encounter with the small boy, who he later realizes has wounds resembling those of Christ, deeply touches him, ultimately leading to his complete transformation into a kind and loving figure.

2.) Analyze the symbolic significance of the garden in "The Selfish Giant." What does it represent in the story?

The garden symbolizes the Giant's heart and soul. When he is selfish, the garden becomes cold and barren, mirroring his emotional state. When he opens his heart to the children, the garden flourishes, symbolizing the warmth and beauty that generosity and kindness bring to life. The changing seasons in the garden also reflect the themes of redemption and the cycle of life and renewal.

3.) What is the significance of the small boy with wounds on his hands and feet in the story? How does his presence influence the Giant?

The small boy with wounds on his hands and feet symbolizes a Christ-like figure, representing love, sacrifice, and redemption. His presence and the wounds, which evoke the crucifixion, deeply affect the Giant, prompting him to realize the consequences of his selfishness. This encounter leads the Giant to a profound understanding of love and generosity, ultimately bringing him peace and redemption. The boy's invitation to the Giant to join him in his garden (paradise) signifies the Giant's spiritual awakening and redemption.

Reference beyond text

a. What is the main theme of the story?

The main theme of this story is selfishness and love. It is the story of transformation of selfish giant into selfless giant. At the beginning of the story, the giant was very selfish and wicked towards the children and he closes the gate of beautiful garden for them. But later he realizes his mistake when the children stop coming to the garden and the garden never experiences the spring season until and unless he allows them to play in his garden. At this point he realizes the meaning of love and sharing. This story is very much relatable to the nature of human beings. We hardly share our belongings to anyone if somebody is needy and we are selfish too. This story teaches us to share love and compassion to get love in return.

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

Yes, God punishes those who are cruel to children and very selfish. As in the story, Giant has really been so cruel to the children and selfish and he didn’t let them play on the garden because of which spring never came in his garden. In the absence of children birds also did not sing. Once a flower bloomed out of the grass but after seeing the notice board, it also went back to sleep. Then came the North Wind and the hailstorm. Due to the giant’s selfishness, autumn’s golden fruits also did not come to his garden. In this way god punishes to those who are cruel to children and very selfish.

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 story.

The coincidence of this event once, the giant let the little child play in his garden and make him happy and today the same child wants to take him to his garden paradise to make him happy in return, which means the final time of the gaint has come and the little child is a messenger/ fairy who wants him to the heaven because of his noble works.

Short questions & answers

1. 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?

The practice of representing the objects, qualities etc. as the human beings in art and literature is called personification. Three examples of personification from the story are the beautiful little flowers that slips back into the garden after seeing the notice board, the snow and the frost who says that the spring has forgotten this garden.

The story has the significance of the seasons personified. At the beginning, the seasons bless the garden with pleasant weather until the Giant sends the children away from his garden. Because of the Giant’s unkindness to the children, the spring season leaves the garden. The seasons disfavor indicates that the Giant’s selfishness goes against the natural order and thus deserves punishment. Thus the significance of the seasons personification is to show that if someone does bad then he/she will deserve the bad.

2. This story can be read as a fairy story, 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.

The story ‘The Selfish Giant’ is a fairy tale. Here, the children symbolize innocence, love, compassion and blessings. Likewise the seasons represents life and death. The tree symbolizes patience and hope. The corner of the garden depicts the paradise. Finally the snow, the wind and the frost symbolize pain, suffering and discomfort.

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

As a fairy tale, the story is full of figures of speech. The figure of speech is used for ‘winter, frost, snow, north wind, hail and little child’ is personification. The little child is compared to the God Almighty (Paradise).