The Giving Tree’s subversive message

Some people like the selfless love displayed by the title character in Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree; I prefer to see the book as a cautionary tale about dysfunctional relationships. Briefly, throughout a man’s life, a tree does its (her) very best to provide him with whatever he asks for. SPOILER: Finally there is nothing left of the tree but a dead stump, which the tree gladly offers as a place for the man to sit when he returns to her. 

Is this love noble or twisted? I’ve finally decided that Shel Silverstein is brilliant because both answers work. Those who want to see the beauty of motherly love can find evidence to support their feelings in the text. Those who think mothers deserve to live their own lives and not only through others can also point to details in the story. The ambiguity of the final meeting between the tree and man make this possible.  The book is like all good poetry (I guess—I’m not good at understanding most poetry) and also like Torah. Enough is left unsaid that the same set of verses can be interpreted in two diametrically opposite ways. (That’s why we need Rashi.)

As a librarian in Jewish schools I’ve been able to push my point of view of The Giving Tree to the teachers who want to spend their Tu B’Shvat unit praising the actions of the tree. I am happy to say that they have changed their teaching a bit. They now ask if perhaps the boy isn’t being a little bit selfish in always taking and taking until the tree is destroyed. And they talk about ecology and how we must be guardians of nature: If we have dominion over nature, then we must be responsible owners.

Happy Tu B’Shvat.

Demons in the Buffyverse

The Jewish idea of demons is, not surprisingly, similar to the demonology of Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse, the world of the television series, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. I, admittedly, speak as a rank amateur who only knows what little I’ve read and watched. Perhaps I flatter myself; Giles calls Willow a rank amateur after she resurrects Buffy and before she nearly destroys the world. I don’t have that kind of power. Anyhow, the connection is not surprising because I find myself drawn to stories from both worlds.

Jewish demons are sometimes bad, but they can also be good. The bad ones are sometimes more annoying and playful than evil. Similarly, as Buffy argues with Faith, the other unique slayer in Buffy’s generation, not all demons are bad. Some are neutral and some even work hard to do good in the world. They just happen to be different from people, although not necessarily in obvious ways, and they almost always lack souls.

How does a demon without a soul be a force for good? Sometimes because it is easier to survive if you play by the rules of the society you live—or are undead—in. Once, because falling in love with a person makes you want to be worthy of her love. Although the absence of a soul seems to make it harder to know the difference between what you want others to do and what they really want to do. But isn’t that true of soulful people as well?

What is great about all these stories is that demonic behavior is human behavior carried to an extreme so that we can recognize what would otherwise be too much like everyday life. Now go and watch.

Dybbuks & Demons

We tend to think that Judaism is a rational religion, that we have matured and outgrown superstitions, that we don’t believe in demons or demonic possessions. Yet, throughout Jewish history, there have been many authentically Jewish stories (whatever that means) about demons, magic objects, ghosts, and wizards. We have been exploring some of these stories, along with their background, this month.

In fact, our discussions tend to be very wide-ranging, but lots of fun. We never have enough time to finish exploring the books for a given topic, but usually that’s fine. There are two books from the last two sessions, however, that we didn’t get to. So, even though we weren’t scheduled to meet this week, I will be in the Temple Israel Library on Wednesday (Jan. 17) at 1:30 p.m. to show off —Francine Prose’s Dybbuk with colorful pictures by Mark Podwal and Daniel Pinkwater’s dada-esque Ducks!, which may be about angels, if you can believe what ducks say. And whatever else we end up talking about. Feel free to drop by. No required reading or prerequisites. Alas, I’m sick. Even though the doctor today said I am probably not contagious and it’s just a viral thing that needs to run its course, I don’t want to make any sick. This all started over the weekend, so I shouldn’t have infected anyone in the Temple Israel community. Stay healthy and I hope to see some of you next week on January 25, but NOT this week after all. Maybe there will be a quick look at dybbuks and angels before we discuss demons in Jewish folklore.