Throughout time, mythology and folklore have served as inspiration for literature due to their thematic complexity and richness in characters. There are various authors who have introduced mythological elements within their literary works in order to point out the hidden meanings and universal truths. Some of the most well-known characters who are used to convey symbolical nuance for such texts are giants. In “The Selfish Giant” Oscar Wilde undermines the classical view of giants through his representation of their anti-hero status, their universality, and their individuality.
First of all, giants are represented more like negative characters than positive ones, usually taking the role of the anti-hero. For instance, according to Greek mythology giants were the sons of Gaea and Uranus, also called Gigantes, known for their monstrous appearance, enormous size and savagery (Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Giant”). At the same time, in folklore, giants were considered to be responsible for meteorological phenomena because they were often seen as the powers of untamed wilderness and people perceived them as being hostile because they lived outside the human community (Motz 1982, 71). All these features of giants indicate that their figures were feared rather than loved by people . In this sense, these could be the main reasons why Wilde chose a giant as a protagonist for his story. At the first sight, Wild’s giant seems concerned only about himself and his garden. His actions proved the selfishness, cruelty, and hostility toward children by forbidding them to play in his garden. There are several elements that support the conclusion about what makes the giant the anti-hero of the story: first, by building a wall surrounding his garden in order to prevent the children from playing there; then, by putting a notice-board with a warning written on it.
“What are you doing there?” he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away. “My own garden is my own garden,” said the Giant; “anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.” So he built a high wall all around it, and put up a notice-board. « TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED » He was a very selfish Giant.
(Wilde 1913, 60–61)
At the same time, even if the origin of giants is related to mythology, in Wilde’s story, giant might lead to a religious interpretation. The giant could represent the first human being, Adam, or even the entire world – the people who demand redemption. At the beginning of the story, the giant is presented as being ruled by selfishness and wickedness, these are the main causes for which in his garden the spring would not come again, and it is only the winter that maintains its stay. Once the giant allowed the children in his garden, spring returns and the garden blossoms again. By becoming kind, the giant is able to find redemption. According to John Allen Quintus, in the story, a Christian reading of the tale is introduced by the child who develops up a close friendship with the giant. At the moment when the child comes back to the giant after a long absence, the little boy has several wounds of love, a hint that the boy assumes the role of Christ “whose stigmata reflect not man’s sensitivity or even Christ’s suffering but rather Christ’s capacity for love” (Quintus 1991, 519). From this point of view, the giant might become a universal symbol for the people rescued by their faith in Christ.
Indeed, through his story, Oscar Wilde emphasizes the role of Christianity by teaching important aspects related to moral values and conduct via his characters. The most significant character in this respect is again, the giant. The giant might illustrate not only a general symbol but also an individual one. Therefore, the giant might represent any person, either a child or an adult. However, there might be another interpretation which is calling attention to the legend of Saint Christopher, one of the most well-known saints. Saint Christopher was a giant who helped travelers in crossing the river by carrying them on his back. According to the legend, one day a child asked him to cross the river, but the child became so heavy that St. Christopher wobbled and complained of his weight. It was told that the child represented the world that the saint had to carry on his back (Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Saint Christopher”). Once again this perspective focuses on the religious aspect, but at the same time, the giant represents a specific individuality – Saint Christopher himself.
Thus, the choice of the giant as the main character is not accidental, but rather obvious for the proper meaning of the tale. Not only does Oscar Wilde use mythology and folklore as a source of creation, but he also adopts a religious and a moral perspective. By taking the giant’s image from folklore and uses it in contrast with religious aspects, the author manages to give evidence of his intention: to include a moral value in the story.
Sources
Motz, Lotte. 1982. “Giants in Folklore and Mythology: A New Approach.” Folklore 93, no. 1:70–84. Accessed on December 2, 2018. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1260141.
Quintus, John Allen. 1991. “Christ, Christianity, and Oscar Wilde.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 33, no. 4: 514–527. Accessed on December 15, 2018. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40754965.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010. “Giant.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed on December 2, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/topic/giant-mythology.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010. “Saint Christopher”. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed on December 15, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Christopher.
Wilde, Oscar. 1913. “The Selfish Giant.”The Happy Prince and Other Tales. Accessed on December 2, 2018. https://archive.org/details/b1080724/page/n9.
Mariana Oros
