The Tree Symbol Analysis

The tree in the corner of the Giant’s garden is a marker of the little boy’s true identity as Christ and a symbol of the redemption he offers to all sinners. In Christian theology, Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion is the act by which he redeemed all humankind for all their sins, across all of time. As stated in 1 Peter 2:24, “he himself [Christ] bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” This particular passage is notable because “cross” is just as often translated as “tree,” a common metonym for the cross. Wilde uses the tree in the Giant’s garden in this same way—because it is by raising the Christ Child into this tree that the Giant begins to be redeemed. The other children fled from the Giant just before this moment; the only one who remained was the little boy who was, in fact, Christ in disguise. Only through the opportunity presented by Christ is the Giant able to demonstrate his goodwill to the children and atone for his actions.

The symbol of the tree is developed further in the story’s end, when the Christ Child reveals his true identity to the Giant. The boy appears transfigured, with the wounds of the crucifixion on his hands and feet—and behind him, the tree is also transformed, with white flowers, silver fruit, and golden branches. Wilde’s use of precious metals here references devotional crosses and crucifixes, which in Catholic tradition especially were heavily ornamented with such valuable metals and materials. The ornamentation is meant to honor Christ’s redemptive sacrifice upon the cross—which is to say, to honor the redemption of humanity which already took place. It is meant to honor the completed sacrifice. This is mirrored in the final scene of “The Selfish Giant,” because the Giant has by this point already been redeemed. The beautiful tree behind the Christ Child symbolizes the Giant’s complete redemption, for which he is then rewarded by eternal life in Paradise.