Time of Relief

Time of Relief

The story entitled The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein shows strong symbolism of a parent child relationship. Children need to be nurtured and taken care of for many years before they are ready to take care of themselves. In many instances, a child becomes used to having everything taken care of for them. It is a parent’s nature to want to do everything to make his or her child happy. A child builds a habit of asking his parents for things when he receives everything that he asks for. Some children can continue this behavior into their adult lives. There is a point when a child needs to relieve his parents of this responsibility and stop taking from them. The child must come to the realization that his parents have needs just as he does.

Parents have an obligation to raise and care for their children to the best of their ability. I believe some parents think that the best way to raise their child is to give them whatever they ask for; as long as the child is happy, they are doing the right thing. This becomes habitual and the child takes advantage. The taking by the child from the parent stays constant because the parent doesn’t teach the child how to earn things for themselves. Once a child reaches a mature age, they should be able to rely on themselves more often and less on the offerings of his parents. It is also the responsibility of the child to realize when he should no longer take from his parents and give them relief from having to give him everything. He should be able to come to the realization that everyone has needs of his or her own.

In the story of The Giving Tree, the boy continuously takes from the tree. The tree symbolizes the parent and the boy the child. The tree gives to keep the boy happy, so the boy takes advantage of this. Even though the tree needs the things that it is giving away just as the boy would like to have them, the tree gives anyway. At the beginning of