THEMES OF THE STORY: THE SELFISH GIANT (500 words)

Oscar Wilde’s one of the stylish fairy tales The Selfish Giant was included
in, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, published in 1888. Very simple and very
interesting story The Selfish Giant is full of inner meaning and different themes.
It throws light on selfishness, friendship, eternal happiness, love and salvation.
to. The story tells about a giant who was really selfish. In fact, The Selfish
Giant moves around a person who is very selfish by nature but he evolves into a
kind person who shares and does not hoard so he achieves salvation in the end.

Selfishness is the main theme with a variety of sub themes. People who
are selfish do not want to share their things with others like the Giant did not
want to share his garden with children. The selfish people want to keep
everything for themselves. But when they do that, they quickly find themselves
all alone. As the Giant was left alone desperately waiting for the Spring.

Another theme in the story is the importance of friendship and of little act
of kindess, in human life. A little act of kindness can build bridges between
people and these bonds can bloom friendships which pave a way towards a
person’s salvation. The boy in the story was Jesus Christ in disguise. He came to
the Giant once again to take him to his garden, Paradise, as a reward for letting
him play once in his garden. The Giant was redeemed by Jesus. He was
absolved of all his sins. His soul became pure and sacred. The ‘white
blossoms’ symbolize the purity and sacredness that the Giant’s soul attained
and the ever-lasting peace that he obtained after death. He was taken to
Paradise for his unselfishness by Jesus Christ.

Love is another theme in the story, is a great virtue, but it is difficult to

cultivate. For the sake of love (which is the image of God) one has to sacrifice a
lot. But once love is enthroned in one’s mind, one is lifted up to heaven as a
reward. For God is Love and Love is God. This was learnt by the Giant as he
learnt to share his possession to attain love.

The ending of the short story is very religious as Wilde uses the presence
of Jesus to help end the story and assist the moral. The giant who had sinned
had been sent to heaven, purely because he had realized that he was selfish and
that he was going to be lonely unless he was more kind. Thus, another theme is
to be kind and more humane towards one another.