Giving

[supergee]

From a post that Facebook disappeared before I could comment, about why The Giving Tree is a controversial book and gifted & talented kids often dislike it.

The Giving Tree is about “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” Gifted & talented are often told that we must give a lot and take as little as possible.

Comments

[calimac]

Old joke.
Mother: We were put on earth to help other people.
Child: Then what are the other people here for?

[dreamshark]

Is that what the Giving Tree is supposed to be about? I could never figure it out, but found it totally creepy and depressing. The theme seemed to be something like, "Life is pain. Nobody appreciates you. And then you die." *ick*

[bibliofile]

Oh I missed that reading entirely. Instead, I got the "female parent-substitute sacrifices everything, including their damn life, because that's what love is". Which is the opposite of everything (feminist, sacrifice, love).

[mount_oregano]

"...and the tree was happy." Not really.

[warriorsavant]

I agree with dreamshark & mount_oregano. Depressing book about some"one" endlessly giving to someone who is an un-appreciative begging choser, until the tree has nothing left. Not a moral I want to teach my kids.

[carbonel]

I'm very fond of this alternate ending to the book:
https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tree