The Selfish Giant

Chapter Summary

“The Selfish Giant” is a story of a giant named “Cornish Ogre”. and children playing in his garden and it was written by “Oscar Wilde”. The story delivers the need for love and the consequence of selfishness. The involvement of a young boy sent the message of God to the selfish giant. The story started with a beautiful garden where kids came to play every afternoon. The garden was gigantic, full of “soft grass” and other beautiful “fruit trees”. Birds came to the garden and sang sitting on the trees. The involvement of children enhanced the beauty of the garden.

One day, the giant returned-back from his friend’s home and scolded the children with anger after seeing them play in the garden. He did not want to children to re-enter his garden and built a wall. He displayed a board with a warning message, “Trespassers will be prosecuted”.

The consequence of the act by the “selfish giant” called the winter season in the garden. The beautiful garden got covered with “frost and snow” and due to the absence of the children, birds also avoided the garden. He noticed that children came to the garden from a little hole. The birds were there and singing a sweet song like before. All the children went away after witnessing the giant in the garden. The giant realised his mistake and he no more remains a cruel person. His love for the children made him lives in Paradise.

The Giant called selfish

The giant was selfish as he prohibited the children as they came to play in his garden. He built a high wall and hang up a notice board to avoid children to visit the garden again.

On one occasion the children said: How happy we are here! Later they said: How happy we were there! What are they referring to in both the cases?

The children illustrated the happiness to play in the garden in the first case. They would love to play in the garden after returning from school.

The children were referring to the giant’s garden where they used to play before. They discussed with each other the happiness of playing in the garden surrounding the fruit trees and birds.

(i) When spring came, it was still winter in the garden. What does winter stand for or indicate here?

Winter in the garden denotes a negative atmosphere where the trees cannot blossom and absence of flowers. The birds were also missing; they did not come up to sing beautiful songs. The environment of the garden transformed into sadness. There is snow and cold in every corner of the garden. Even after a long time, due to the absence of the children spring did not come into the garden. Winter stood as the result of the selfishness of the giant.

(ii) Winter has been presented like a story with its own characters and their activities. Describe the story in your own words.

The moment when spring came all over the nation, the trees started blossoming and the birds began to sing except in the giant’s garden. The birds did not sing in the selfish giant’s garden. Snow covered the garden stealing all the beauty. It was grey all around the garden making the giant realise his mistakes.

Was the Giant happy or sad over the state of the garden?

The giant was sad after witnessing the situation in his garden. Winter all around his garden made him feel sad and alone. He was often amazed at why spring was in arriving at his garden when it was all around in the environment.

What effect did the linnet’s song have over Hail and the North Wind?

The movement, giant heard the linnet’s song, there was no effect of hailstorm and the cold wind, which was coming from the North, also stopped. Giant was able to feel a delicious perfume coming from the open casement. He jumped out of his bed with excitement and looked outside.

(i) The Giant saw a most wonderful sight. What did he see?

The Giant noticed that children had sneaked into his garden by a little hole available on the wall. The children sat on the tree branches, and the trees responded with delight and blossomed. Birds also visited the garden after the children came to play. There were all joy and happiness; even the flowers bloomed in the garden after a long time.

(ii) What did he realise on seeing it?

The giant realised that the spring was avoiding the garden since the children were not there. Soon the children entered the garden to play; everything became as beautiful as the previous. He realised that due to his selfishness of building wall and prohibiting the children from playing, there were all winter and sadness in the garden.

Why was it still winter in one corner of the garden?

The giant noticed that there was still some snown in the garden as a younger kid could not climb up the trees, and as the result, the tree was covered with Snow and Frost. It happened, as the tree remained untouched by the child. He helped the children to climb up the branches.

Describe the first meeting of the little boy and the Giant

The giant helped the little boy to climb the tree. Giant gently took the kid and place him on the tree. With the touches of the kid, the tree blossomed. The kid kissed the giant’s neck and expressed his gratitude.

Describe their second meeting after a long interval

The giant looked outside from his window and thought about the kid in the winter morning. The thought of meeting the lovely kid changes the garden into a lovely sight like Spring. The children were standing under a tree that was covered by snow, but it contained the golden and silver fruit. The touch of the giant caused injury to the child’s feet and hands. He asked about it and the child replied that these were the wounds of love. The boy said he had come to take the Giant along with him to his garden in Paradise.

The Giant lay dead, all covered with white blossoms. What does this sentence indicate about the once selfish Giant?

The sentence indicated that the giant was blessed in Paradise after his death as he did not has any cruelty or selfishness in him. Giant received a peaceful death and went to the Paradise to live.

The little child’s hands arid feet had marks of nails. Who does the child remind you of? Give a reason for your answer

The impact of nails on the child’s hands reminds the image of Jesus Christ. The giant noticed the marks on the child’s feet and hands while he was meeting him for the second time. It made the giant angry which denoted the love inside the giant for the children and his transformation from the selfish to a mark of humanity.

FAQs

Q1. What happened when the children came back to the garden?

Ans. One morning, the giant heard a young boy sing sweet songs from outside his window. He started to feel spring as the hailstorm stopped; there were flowers visible in the garden.

Q2. What happened when the giant realised his mistake?

Ans. He realised his mistake and his heart melted after witnessing the children playing in the garden. He broke down the wall and let the children play forever.

Q3. Why the beauty of the garden got lost?

Ans. The beauty of the garden got lost. Due to this selfishness of the giant, the flowers went back to sleep, and the golden fruits did not come in the autumn season too.