A CHILDREN’S STORY OR A STORY FOR LIFE LESSONS

In the book A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein, the narrator assumes a giraffe, turns it into a giraffe and a half by stretching it, adds useless items to it, renders it in a strange and ridiculous situation, and finally, after all the objects are removed, the giraffe goes back to its original size. Since not only children but also adults find reading this story enjoyable, it may be said that the only purpose of reading this work, which is truly remarkable in terms of rhythm and rhyme, is entertainment or pastime; yet, there is more to reading this literary work than what it seems at first. As a matter of fact, a survey was conducted on the people in all age groups who had read this book and it was concluded that they were still interested in reviewing it from time to time; most of the participants even had no idea how to express the interest, but they were satisfied with the way the story ended and did not want to consider another ending for it. In response to these statements, this article intends to depict that although a majority of human beings want changes in their appearance and conditions in order to be accepted by others, they ultimately tend to return to their true selves and live as if their individual existence were the only way for them to achieve their desired goals, even at the expense of failing to keep those around them satisfied.

Keywords:

Shel Silverstein , A Giraffe and a Half , children’s literature , true self and identity