The Selfish Giant Story Summary, Review and Plot of The Selfish Giant

The Selfish Giant: The story is that of an of a giant, his garden and the children who used to play in it.

There was once a giant who had a beautiful garden. He had gone to visit his friend, the Ogre, for seven years. When he returned home, he found that children used his beautiful garden as their playground. Their happy voices as they played there infuriated the giant.

What is the Plot of The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde?

Very angry at the children, he shunned them out of his garden and built a tall fence around it. The children could not return to the garden.

As the seasons passed and the time for Spring to arrive came, the Giant waited eagerly to watch his garden bloom with beautiful flowers. However, he waited and waited but Spring never came to his garden.

Days passed by and the Giant grew worried and sad for his garden until one day he woke up in the morning to hear the laughter of the children and to see the touch of Spring in his garden. The Giant was very happy and he ran outside to play with the kids who had entered through a small hole in the fence.

As he played, he noticed a small boy stuck on top of a tree. The Giant very lovingly brought him down and when he asked his name, the kid ran away. From then on, every day, the Giant waited for his little friend to come but he never came.

After a very long time, when the Giant was old, he woke up in the morning and saw his little friend in his blooming garden. He quickly ran out and the child told him that he was the Christ and had come to take him to Heaven with him. The Giant died peacefully and his soul rested in Heaven with God.

Review of The Selfish Giant

The Selfish Giant, written by Oscar Wilde, is a famous short story. It is one of the many many beautiful stories penned by the author.

A nice work of imagination, it is mainly for children with magical creatures like the Giant and the Ogre. It teaches the importance of sharing the good things in life and how it brings happiness to not just the one it is being shared with but also the one who is sharing.

A kind heart is always a blessing and is amply blessed by the Almighty. It also teaches that one gets what he gives. If you spread happiness, you will get happiness in return and if you give sadness to others, it also comes back to you many folds.

The Selfish Giant movie 2013

The Selfish Giant was released in 2013 . Directed by Clio Barnard, its a British film inspired by the Oscar Wilde short story “The Selfish Giant”. Rotten Tomatoes has rated it 98% and IMDB at 73%.

Synopsis of the Selfish Giant YouTube 1971

This is an Animated film based on the story by Oscar Wilde. A giant finds children playing in his beautiful garden and chases them away and by building a high wall around his estate.

Spring leaves the garden and Winter’s back for good until children manage to slip through a hole in the wall. Spring then returns. The giant becomes gentle and allows the children to play in his garden whenever they want.

Questions and Answers & Analysis of the story

What is the moral of the Selfish Giant?

This beautiful short story suggests giving happiness to others will make us feel happy in our life as well. The story is about a giant who was really selfish by nature. A tall, massive and ugly looking character. He doesn’t like the children who are playing in his Garden.

What does spring and winter symbolize in The Selfish Giant?

Spring is the symbol of happiness. The cold and gloomy winter symbolizes suffering. There were no flowers in the Giant’s garden means that the happiness was nowhere to be seen.

What is the main idea of the Selfish Giant?

In The Selfish Giant written by Oscar Wilde, main themes are – humility, salvation, compassion, kindness, arrogance, loneliness, love and pain.

When was the Selfish Giant written?

The Selfish Giant was first published May 1888 as part of the five stories in the collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) by Oscar Wilde.

What are the main characters in the Selfish Giant?

The most important characters in the story are the Giant and the little boy. The kids act as a collective character and are associated with spring and joy, as the season ‘refuses’ to enter the Giant’s garden in their absence.

The seasons are also personified, having more a symbolic function.