Comments on: Don’t Be the Tree http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dont-be-the-tree Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:05:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dara http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5374 Dara Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:26:47 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5374 Am I odd in that I don't analyze this story to death? I liked the story as a kid; I never looked at it as the tree being the villain because she spoils the boy or the boy as a villain because he uses the tree... Good grief, I just read it for the story, not for all this ridiculous underlying message crap. Am I odd in that I don’t analyze this story to death? I liked the story as a kid; I never looked at it as the tree being the villain because she spoils the boy or the boy as a villain because he uses the tree…

Good grief, I just read it for the story, not for all this ridiculous underlying message crap.

]]> By: Friday Procrastination: Link Love | http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5319 Friday Procrastination: Link Love | Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:03:51 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5319 [...] American Conservative has an interesting take on a classic kids [...] [...] American Conservative has an interesting take on a classic kids [...]

]]> By: Kimberly http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5310 Kimberly Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:37:40 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5310 If you find "The Giving Tree" disturbing, then you should read the children's book, "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. This one is particularly troublesome--with aged Mom sneaking through adult man-son's window at night when he's sleeping in order to whisper in his hear how much she loves him. If you want to talk about a more direct (and alarming!) message of what love constitutes between mother and child read this . . . and beware. Completely cringe-worthy. If you find “The Giving Tree” disturbing, then you should read the children’s book, “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch.

This one is particularly troublesome–with aged Mom sneaking through adult man-son’s window at night when he’s sleeping in order to whisper in his hear how much she loves him. If you want to talk about a more direct (and alarming!) message of what love constitutes between mother and child read this . . . and beware. Completely cringe-worthy.

]]> By: Kelley Holiday http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5281 Kelley Holiday Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:17:33 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5281 I have HATED the giving tree for YEARS!!!! I am so glad to see other like minded people. I too feel that it is about a selfish narcissistic boy and an enabling, martyred parent (namely mom). It displays a very dysfunctional relationship. The problem is, especially for women, that we are taught that this is *exactly* the type of woman we are supposed to be, with our husband, our parents, our kids, and now our jobs. And many other people do just what the boy did, suck you dry until nothing is left. It's a warning tale to stand up for yourself, have a backbone, set limits and boundaries. Unfortunately, too many people romanticize it as "Awe, that's so sweet. It's unconditional love." Puke! Men want it as sons, and then expect their wives to do it to. Shift the Paradigm. It's no longer all about you (and it really never was). But I see many of the posts here are from men, especially the ones singing in praise of the all sacrificing mother. How many of those moms had no sense of self, lacked an identity of their own, and probably were depressed, lost, and popping pills or swinging back drinks to numb the fact that nobody really cared about their needs and wants. I think the book should come with a warning label. Another bad one is "I Love You Forever". A stalking mom. Not good. I have HATED the giving tree for YEARS!!!! I am so glad to see other like minded people. I too feel that it is about a selfish narcissistic boy and an enabling, martyred parent (namely mom). It displays a very dysfunctional relationship. The problem is, especially for women, that we are taught that this is *exactly* the type of woman we are supposed to be, with our husband, our parents, our kids, and now our jobs. And many other people do just what the boy did, suck you dry until nothing is left. It’s a warning tale to stand up for yourself, have a backbone, set limits and boundaries. Unfortunately, too many people romanticize it as “Awe, that’s so sweet. It’s unconditional love.” Puke! Men want it as sons, and then expect their wives to do it to. Shift the Paradigm. It’s no longer all about you (and it really never was). But I see many of the posts here are from men, especially the ones singing in praise of the all sacrificing mother. How many of those moms had no sense of self, lacked an identity of their own, and probably were depressed, lost, and popping pills or swinging back drinks to numb the fact that nobody really cared about their needs and wants. I think the book should come with a warning label. Another bad one is “I Love You Forever”. A stalking mom. Not good.

]]> By: Be the Tree « the road less traveled http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5270 Be the Tree « the road less traveled Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:32:18 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5270 [...] I recently found several blog posts that cut down (pun intended) The Giving Tree – one of my favorite children’s books of all time – as “overrated“, “a bleak fable about kids who selfishly milk their elders for every drop they’ve got“, and “downright unethical, if not quite villainous, in the way that the tree allows itself to be taken adv....” [...] [...] I recently found several blog posts that cut down (pun intended) The Giving Tree – one of my favorite children’s books of all time – as “overrated“, “a bleak fable about kids who selfishly milk their elders for every drop they’ve got“, and “downright unethical, if not quite villainous, in the way that the tree allows itself to be taken adv….” [...]

]]> By: Dan Billinger http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5261 Dan Billinger Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:19:09 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5261 It's about being a parent, as Silverstein said several times. It’s about being a parent, as Silverstein said several times.

]]> By: John Schwenkler http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5260 John Schwenkler Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:29:36 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5260 <blockquote>The boy is American capitalism and the tree is the land we took to make the United States ...</blockquote> No, that's <em>The Lorax</em> (which I <em>do</em> like). If Silverstein were telling an environmentalist tale, the tree would've gotten pissed.

The boy is American capitalism and the tree is the land we took to make the United States …

No, that’s The Lorax (which I do like). If Silverstein were telling an environmentalist tale, the tree would’ve gotten pissed.

]]> By: jmniv http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5259 jmniv Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:00:39 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5259 The boy is American capitalism and the tree is the land we took to make the United States, although I suppose the tree could be the world since we have gladly traded cutting down our own trees for cutting down trees in developing countries where the labor is cheaper. Maybe that's where the boy took the boat he made from the tree, on a WTO tour. The boy is American capitalism and the tree is the land we took to make the United States, although I suppose the tree could be the world since we have gladly traded cutting down our own trees for cutting down trees in developing countries where the labor is cheaper. Maybe that’s where the boy took the boat he made from the tree, on a WTO tour.

]]> By: Quid Quintessa http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5253 Quid Quintessa Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:10:05 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5253 It really is just a damned tree. The boy is human and as everybody knows, nature was placed here as a resource-reserve for human endeavor. The tree was pleased to fulfill this purpose, since it was unlikely to be able to uproot itself and get itself a timeshare in Daytona. It really is just a damned tree. The boy is human and as everybody knows, nature was placed here as a resource-reserve for human endeavor. The tree was pleased to fulfill this purpose, since it was unlikely to be able to uproot itself and get itself a timeshare in Daytona.

]]> By: dsimon http://www.theamericanconservative.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/comment-page-2/#comment-5252 dsimon Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:13:20 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/schwenkler/2009/07/21/dont-be-the-tree/#comment-5252 I recall not admiring the tree, or wanting to emulate the tree, but feeling sorry for the tree in a kind of pathetic sense. Maybe the tree was happy, but I was saddened. I suppose one could say the tree was a bit of a sap. (Sorry.) I recall not admiring the tree, or wanting to emulate the tree, but feeling sorry for the tree in a kind of pathetic sense. Maybe the tree was happy, but I was saddened.

I suppose one could say the tree was a bit of a sap. (Sorry.)

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