Finding Paradise Through Selflessness: Oscar Wilde’s Short Story ‘The Selfish Giant’

The Giant in Oscar Wilde's story learns that selfishness creates a cold world, while selflessness makes anywhere paradise. Project Gutenberg

In a very selfish world, it can be difficult to be selfless. Selfishness, though appealing and advantageous in many ways, doesn’t bring joy to us or those around us. Only selflessness brings true joy.

In Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Selfish Giant,” the Giant learns that selfishness creates a cold world, while selflessness can make anywhere paradise.

The Giant lives alone in a castle with the most beautiful garden. The garden has unparalleled flowers, the softest grass, and wonderful peach trees. Every day after school, the children come and play in the Giant’s garden. They climb the trees, sing songs, and listen to the birds. They truly enjoy themselves in the garden.

Cold Selfishness

When the Giant returns from a seven-year visit to the Cornish ogre, he is very annoyed to find the children disturbing his garden:

“My own garden is my own garden, any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.” In selfish anger, the Giant builds a wall around his garden.

However, with the children gone from the garden, the flowers and trees refuse to bloom and the birds refuse to sing.

While the rest of the world outside of the Giant’s garden experiences Spring and Summer, Winter permanently sets in upon the garden. Spring refuses to visit because of the Giant’s selfishness. The Snow and Frost arrive and soon invite Hail and the North Wind to join them.

Paradise Regained

The Giant is exceedingly disappointed and annoyed that Spring won’t visit his garden. Yet, one special morning, the Giant wakes and is overjoyed to see that Spring has returned to his garden! The little children have snuck into the garden through a hole in the wall and are playing among blossoming trees, green grass, and singing birds.

The Giant is touched by this beautiful scene.

“How selfish I have been!” he says. “Now I know why the Spring would not come here.”

Yet, the Giant is saddened to see that Winter still remains in a corner of the garden. There, a little boy walks around under an icy tree, crying because he’s unable to reach the branches. Truly repentant of his selfish deeds, the Giant goes out to help the little boy.

By simply helping a little boy climb a tree, the Giant obtains paradise. PD-US

Upon seeing the Giant, the children run away in terror, returning the garden to its icy state. The only child who doesn’t run away is the little boy, who doesn’t see the Giant through his tears.

The Giant lifts the boy and carefully places him in the tree. The tree immediately blooms, and birds begin singing. With utter gratitude and love, the little boy hugs the Giant’s neck and kisses him. The Giant has found paradise.

Wilde shows us that, although the Giant thinks his selfishness benefits him, the Giant learns that his selfishness hurts not only him, but the children as well. He realizes that the Winter is the result of his own actions.

When we are selfish, keeping our gifts, talents, and possessions only for ourselves, we bring frost and hail with us. We ruin the world around us. Yet, when we are selfless, sharing what we have, we can find paradise in our own garden.