An Analysis of The Selfish Giant

Ardissa Cahya Prameswari
181010600818
06SIGP004
CHILDREN LITERATURE
An Analysis of The Selfish Giant
The Selfish Giant was made by a novelist named Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde
(Oscar Wilde), born on October 16 1854 in Westland Row, Dublin, Ireland. He’s known for his
wit and one of the successful dramatists in Victorian Era in London. The Selfish Giant is a short
fantasy story denote one out of five stories in The Happy Prince and the Other Tales and was
published into book in 1888. After a hundred’s years later, this book is still on use to taught
children and teenagers, means how much moral of the story people get while reading this children
story. Its powerful massage that brings people to read it in a different point of view which a lot of
hidden point in a simple sentence spoken from all characters inside.
Since the castle was empty for years, people wonder who will maintain the garden. Inside
of the castle there was a beautiful garden that made the kids always had the time to play inside the
castle simply to enjoy the view or to make friends with the living thing around it such as plants
and animals. One day, the Giant who was left for many years suddenly came home to see the
beautiful well-maintained garden and thank the Mother Nature to blessed him with a lovely gift.
While the Giant was taking a nap, all of a sudden, a loud noise came from outside of the castle
interrupting his sleep. He takes a look and saw a lot of children running all over the garden. Didn’t
like what he just saw, the Giant told the children to quickly leave his garden and to never step a
single foot inside the castle. The children who were frightened by the Giant rush to leave the
garden. Seem to not see the danger, the children were come back a couple times until the Giant
was so mad and he decided to build a wall with a warning said 'trespassers will be prosecuted' to
keep everything out and bring back his peace. From then, the garden was starting to fall apart and
it’s winter all year even though it’s already spring. At the moment, the children sneakily climb up
the wall and play around again. Not long after, the garden blossom like they used to and that made
the Giant realized the children was the one who made the garden even more alive and enchanting.
The Selfish Giant has a value to appreciate one’s property, as someone who were away for
years, he must be expect to see the garden is in a great condition and that is what the children and
the people in the village do to protect the garden for all these years. They adore the garden so much
and admire its beauty. The children are taught to not recklessly treat the plants and animals inside,
instead they look after the garden and that’s what make the garden blossoms.
Another value is to be selfless. The Giant realized when he decided to shut the world
outside, he can not see the bigger picture of what is the real reason that makes the garden looks
stunning. After being considerate to allow the children playing happily inside, the garden also
seem to have its joy around. Lastly, is gaining happiness is not always about peace and alone while
being alone sometimes can be destructive inside and outside and to always remember that other
people exist for a reason which is to keep us company.
Inside the Selfish Giant story, there are many critical aspects to be analyzed, which are the
stereotype of the villager which they think the Giant is a scary being while in reality he simply
wishes to be alone and not being disturb by some annoying sounds. The children thought if they
got caught playing in his garden, he will kill them when he just wants a peaceful napping time.
One child says “Please don’t kill me. I won’t come here again”, and then the Giant asks, “Do I kill
people? No.” His big appearance scares the children and that makes them think he can kill people
whoever he thinks irritating. The children have that thought even though they have never seen the
Giant kill people before yet they have the intuitive to say Giant is often kill people smaller than
them.
Second, is overprotective destroyed. Since he wants some privacy to enjoy his garden
alone, he doesn’t remember who does all the work to maintain the garden while he was away. He
then proceeds to cover the castle and the garden where no one could ever pass through. However,
the garden feels lonely as it can’t no longer hear the laughing sound from the children. Its purpose
is to make everyone happy since there is no one around, it feels useless to be alive and its beauty
disappear as the time passed. Shows in line “Spring came and went, but the garden was still dry”.
Doesn’t matter how many times he prays for it to blooms still he failed to see the bigger cause of
it which is being overprotective.
Lastly, is the innocence of the child could melt a stone heart. The Giant is a lonely creature
and the children could not resist to ask him if he wants to join them. Once, they both meet and the
Giant see that the children was meant no harm to the garden and it all misunderstanding from both
parts until one child while shivering, he talks to the Giant what he’s up to, he says, “I want to climb
up on this tree, but I can’t”. In that moment, the Giant starts to open his heart and tell the other
child to come and play like they used to. Hence, the all three, the Giant, the children and the garden
were can not live without each other.
In conclusion, The Selfish Giant has the values to be selfless and to not irresponsibly
destroy someone’s assets but to guard it with a lot of love thus they can bloom prettily. The Selfish
Giant taught on how being alone is disadvantage for some people. Even though there are some
stereotypes growing, people can change their mindset quickly. Sometimes, one person should let
other people to live inside to grasp the beauty which is hidden for all this time. Who knows they
might become more aesthetically pleasing than ever?

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Ardissa Cahya Prameswari

An Analysis of The Selfish Giant

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