NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter The Selfish Giant

This worksheet provides Class 9 English students with a clear understanding of the chapter The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. The story focuses on a Giant who learns the importance of kindness, sharing, and love through his experiences. It is an important chapter as it teaches moral values and helps students understand themes like selfishness, transformation, and redemption. This worksheet offers complete and accurate NCERT Solutions that help students prepare effectively for exams and improve their understanding of the chapter in a simple and structured way.

Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes

This chapter presents a story about a selfish Giant who owns a beautiful garden but refuses to let children play in it. As a result, his garden falls into eternal winter, symbolizing the consequences of selfishness. When the children return, the garden comes back to life, and the Giant realizes the importance of sharing and kindness. The story highlights themes such as love, innocence, transformation, and redemption. It is a prose-based chapter focused on moral learning and character development rather than activity-based or picture-based tasks.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

• Understanding moral values like kindness, sharing, and empathy 
• Development of reading and comprehension skills 
• Learning about character traits and their transformation 
• Understanding themes such as selfishness and redemption 
• Improving vocabulary through contextual reading 
• Enhancing the ability to interpret literary texts 
• Building skills to answer character and theme-based questions 

How to use these NCERT solutions?

• Students should first read the chapter carefully to understand the storyline and message 
• Attempt all questions on their own before referring to the answers 
• Use the solutions to check correctness and improve answer-writing skills 
• Parents and teachers can guide students in understanding key concepts and themes 
• The solutions follow the same order and structure, making it easy to revise 
• Regular practice using these solutions helps in better retention and exam preparation 

Student tips & learning tricks

• Focus on understanding the message of the story instead of memorizing answers 
• Pay attention to the transformation of the Giant’s character 
• Avoid writing irrelevant details in answers 
• Practice writing answers in clear and simple language 
• Revise important themes and character sketches regularly 
• Understand the symbolic meaning of seasons in the story 
• Keep answers precise and aligned with the question 

Why NCERT solutions are important?

NCERT Solutions help students build a strong foundation by providing accurate and structured answers. They improve understanding of concepts, support effective revision, and help students perform better in exams. These solutions also boost confidence by ensuring that students follow the correct approach while answering questions.

Complete answer key – NCERT solutions

SUMMARY

1. The Selfish Giant owns a beautiful garden, which becomes a playground for children every afternoon. The children run and play, enjoying the flowers, trees, and sweet songs of the birds. The garden is full of life and happiness, but the Giant, after returning from a long visit to a friend, becomes angry at the children playing in his garden. He builds a high wall around it and puts up a notice saying that nobody is allowed to enter, causing the children to run away.

2. With the children gone, the garden falls into eternal winter. The birds stop singing, the flowers wither, and the trees refuse to blossom. The snow and frost take over, and the North Wind roars through the garden. The Giant is puzzled by the cold weather and wonders why spring hasn’t arrived, but the beauty of the garden is lost without the laughter and joy of the children.

3. One day, the Giant hears beautiful music and looks out to find the children returning. As they enter the garden, spring returns with them. The flowers bloom, the birds begin to sing, and the trees blossom. The Giant realizes that it was the presence of the children that brought life back to his garden. Feeling remorseful, he opens the gates and invites the children to play freely.

4. In his old age, the Giant sees a child standing in his garden, who is so beautiful that he believes he is Christ. The child tells the Giant that his kindness will be rewarded. When the Giant dies, his soul is taken to heaven by the child, and he is at peace, having learned the value of love, generosity, and sharing.

CHARACTER SKETCH

1. Giant 
The Giant is initially selfish, prideful, and unkind, keeping the children out of his beautiful garden and causing it to fall into perpetual winter. His heart softens later in the story when he realizes the joy the children bring to his garden, and he eventually welcomes them back, learning the value of kindness and selflessness.

2. children 
The children are innocent, joyful, and carefree, finding happiness in the Giant's garden despite its owner’s harshness. They symbolize purity and the natural beauty of childhood.

3. mysterious child 
The mysterious child, who appears at the end, represents Christ or a spiritual figure, offering the Giant forgiveness and peace as he takes him to heaven, rewarding his transformation from selfishness to kindness.

THEMES

1. Selfishness and its Consequences: 
The Giant’s selfishness, symbolized by his refusal to share his garden with the children, leads to the garden falling into eternal winter. His actions show how selfishness can lead to isolation and the loss of joy in life.

2. Innocence and Purity of Childhood: 
The children in the story represent innocence and joy, bringing life and spring back to the garden. Their pure hearts contrast with the Giant’s initial selfishness, emphasizing the beauty and power of childhood innocence.

3. The Power of Love and Kindness: 
Love and kindness are central to the story, as the Giant’s heart softens after he welcomes the children back. His act of kindness is rewarded spiritually, showing that love and compassion bring peace and fulfillment.

4. Transformation and Redemption 
The Giant’s transformation from a selfish person to one who understands the value of kindness highlights the theme of redemption. His change shows that anyone, no matter how flawed, can redeem themselves through love and generosity.

5. Spirituality and Salvation: 
The Giant’s final reward—being taken to heaven—illustrates the theme of spiritual redemption for those who change their ways and embrace love and kindness.

MESSAGE

1. The main message of "The Selfish Giant" is that true happiness and fulfillment come from selflessness, kindness, and sharing with others. The story teaches that when we open our hearts to others, we not only bring joy to their lives but also invite positivity and beauty into our own.

ORAL DISCUSSION

1. The Selfish Giant’s Life Was Full of Isolation and Realization. 

Sample Answer: 
Yes, the Selfish Giant’s life was initially filled with selfishness and isolation. He built a wall around his garden to keep the children out, which made the garden fall into eternal winter. This act of selfishness isolated him, and he didn’t experience the joy or beauty that the children brought with their laughter. His story reflects how selfishness can lead to loneliness and a lack of fulfillment, and it wasn’t until he opened his heart to the children that he found peace and happiness.

2. The Transformation of the Giant Shows the Importance of Kindness. 

Sample Answer: 
Exactly, the Giant’s transformation is the key message of the story. At the beginning, he was selfish and unkind, but when he allowed the children back into the garden, his heart softened. The change in the Giant teaches us that kindness and generosity are the paths to real happiness and personal growth. His willingness to share and be kind not only brought the spring back to the garden but also to his soul.

3. The Children Represent Innocence and the Joy of Sharing. 

Sample Answer: 
Yes, the children in the story represent innocence and purity. Their laughter and playfulness were what made the garden bloom. They didn’t ask for anything in return—they simply shared their joy. The contrast between the Giant’s initial selfishness and the children’s natural kindness highlights how we, as individuals, can make a difference by being generous and unselfish. It reminds us of the importance of sharing, especially with those in need.

4. The Giant’s Final Reward Shows the Power of Redemption. 

Sample Answer: 
Absolutely, the Giant’s final reward is symbolic of redemption. After a life of selfishness, the Giant’s act of kindness in welcoming the children back is recognized by a higher power. The child who appears at the end represents Christ, offering the Giant peace and eternal happiness. This highlights the story’s message that redemption is possible for anyone who changes their ways, no matter their past mistakes.

Build your child’s confidence in English with structured NCERT Solutions and expert learning support. 

Book a free trial!