The main character of the story, the titular selfish giant owns a garden where local children have taken to playing while he is away on an extended vacation. At the beginning of the story, the…
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The Children
The children in the story are a group of local kids who play in the Giant’s garden after school. Innocent and sweet, they attract the goodwill of nature—they are loved by the birds, the…
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The Little Boy
The little boy in the story is Christ in disguise, and he assumes this form so as to offer the Giant a chance at redemption. The Christ Child first appears among the many children who…
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Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Spring, Summer, and Autumn are the seasons personified. At the beginning of the story, they bless the Giant’s garden with good weather—until he ousts the children from his garden, at which point they leave…
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The Forces of Winter
The personified forces of Winter are the Snow, the Frost, the North Wind, and the Hail. They take residence in the Giant’s garden because Spring, Summer, and Autumn have left it (along with the…
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