Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why do you think the tree is given the pronoun "she"? How might the book be different if the tree were referred to as "he" or "it"?
- What do you think the boy's life is like when he's away from the tree? We only see him when he comes to visit the tree. What do you suppose is going on when he's somewhere else?
- We are told five times in the book that "the tree was happy." What is it, exactly, that seems to make the tree happy? And why are we never told "the boy was happy"? Is the boy ever happy? How can you tell?
- What kind of relationship do the tree and the boy seem to have? Are they friends? Do they have a romantic relationship? Are they like siblings? Is there another human relationship that the boy and the tree seem to mirror? Explain.
- Would you characterize the relationship between the boy and the tree as a good relationship? Who is it good for? The boy? The tree? Both? Neither? Explain your reasoning.
- Even though the boy grows up into a very old man, he is always referred to as "the boy." Why do you think this is?
- The last words of the book are "[a]nd the tree was happy." If you were the tree, would you be happy? Why or why not? Why do you think the tree is happy? And ultimately, do you see this as a happy ending to the book?