The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree
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Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse and bullying.
Kindness as a Measure of Character
In The Wish Giver, Brittain presents kindness as a reliable measure of character. People in Coven Tree often judge one another by outward qualities such as clothing, manners, money, charm, or social position. The novel questions those judgments by showing how characters treat others when their pride, anger, or desires are tested. Polly Kemp’s story develops this idea most directly. Stewart “Stew Meat” Meade explains that Polly often speaks “without a thought” about whether her words hurt others (8). Polly thinks of this habit as honesty, but the novel shows that blunt honesty can still be unkind when it ignores other people’s feelings. Thaddeus Blinn’s magic doesn’t punish Polly for using language imprecisely; it stops her when she’s about to complain, insult, or lash out. Her frog-like croaking turns an everyday character flaw into something impossible to ignore: Her words show how little she often considers the people around her.
Polly’s wish also shows that kindness depends on repeated choices, not appearances. Once she understands that the croaking begins whenever she starts “giving somebody what for” (49), she begins to think before speaking. Her change is clearest when Olivia Heidecker is surprised by Polly’s compliment because it’s the “first kind words” she has ever heard Polly say (58). This moment matters because it shows how strongly Polly’s usual speech has shaped other people’s view of her. Agatha Benthorn and Eunice Ingersoll offer the opposite example. They know how to sound proper, but they gossip about Polly, laugh at her embarrassment, and plan to “fix her once and for all” by humiliating her at tea (54). At the tea party, Polly’s self-control allows her to judge Agatha and Eunice more clearly. She realizes that their polished behavior doesn’t make them admirable because their treatment of others reveals their unkindness.
Rowena Jervis’s story develops the same theme through Henry Piper and Sam Waxman. Henry appears charming because he knows how to flatter people, but his charm is tied to self-interest. Mrs. Jervis says that Henry flirts, tells impressive stories, and charms people “all to sell his tools and machinery” (77). Later, Sam discovers that Henry’s stories about travel come from magazines rather than experience, confirming that much of Henry’s charm is false. Sam, by contrast, is plainspoken and sometimes awkward, but his plain speech makes him easier to trust than Henry. This contrast helps Rowena see that attractive words don’t prove good character. Through Polly, Agatha, Eunice, Henry, and Sam, Brittain shows that kindness isn’t the same as manners, popularity, or charm and that people show who they are by how they treat others.
The Difference Between What People Want and What They Need
Blinn’s magical wish cards offer the three children in The Wish Giver what they believe they want most: popularity, romance, and relief from hardship. However, the novel argues that what the children think they want isn’t always what they truly need. By granting the children’s wishes in unexpected and often painful ways, the magic forces each of them to reconsider their original goals and discover what truly matters to them. Although the wishes bring hardship, they also help the children recognize what truly matters, showing that lasting happiness comes from genuine relationships, purpose, and self-understanding rather than magical, easy solutions.
Polly’s greatest wish is to be accepted by the town’s popular girls, Agatha and Eunice, whom she considers “quality folks.” Her wish to be liked and noticed is aimed at their group. When her wish is granted, she begins croaking like a frog whenever she speaks harshly. The embarrassing punishment forces her to think more carefully before speaking, helping her treat others with greater kindness. The ultimate test comes when Agatha finally invites her to tea, fulfilling part of her wish. There, Polly discovers that the girls’ world is shallow, cruel, and “boring.” She realizes that she values her adventures with her true friends, the Wickstaff twins, far more than the popularity Agatha represents. Her wish, by giving her the chance to experience what she thought she wanted, ultimately reveals that she already has the genuine friendship she truly needs.
Rowena’s wish is for the kind of romance she has always imagined with the charming traveling salesman, Henry. She wants him to stay in Coven Tree forever, imagining a grand life with someone she believes is sophisticated and exciting. When her wish literally roots him to the spot, his charming appearance quickly crumbles. Trapped and helpless, he reveals that he flattered Rowena to help him sell farm machinery to her father, showing that he’s far less sincere than she believed. This experience shatters her romantic ideal of Henry. In its place, she begins to see the kindness and dependability of the farmhand, Sam, who supports her selflessly through the crisis. Rowena’s desire for a flashy romance hides her true need for a partner who shows genuine care and respect, something she recognizes only after the wish reveals that her original dream was based on appearances rather than character.
Adam Fiske wishes for an end to the hard work that defines his life: hauling water for his family’s parched farm. His desire for a convenient, endless water supply comes from wanting to ease his family’s daily struggles, not avoid his responsibilities. The resulting flood destroys his home and livelihood, turning a practical wish into a disaster. However, the crisis reveals an unexpected truth: Adam possesses the rare “dowsing gift.” In the aftermath, he finds a new and respected role locating water for others. His wish for an easier solution to his family’s problems is replaced by the discovery of work that allows him to use his abilities to help both his family and the wider community. The wish that destroyed his farm ironically leads him to a new future, proving that his true need wasn’t simply an easier life but the chance to make a meaningful contribution to his community.
The Power of Helping Others
In The Wish Giver, Brittain shows that although the children’s wishes create problems, they’re able to overcome those problems with the help of others. The wishes granted by Blinn are deeply personal, reflecting each child’s hopes and worries, and they leave the three children facing problems they can’t solve on their own. Throughout the novel, family members, friends, and neighbors offer practical help, while Stew Meat ultimately uses his own wish to help everyone instead of himself. The novel argues that kindness, friendship, and selfless actions are more powerful than relying on magic to solve personal problems, showing that people are strongest when they support one another.
The immediate aftermath of Adam’s wish provides a clear example of this theme. As his farm is flooded by magical geysers, the Fiske family is left unhoused and destitute. The people of Coven Tree quickly come together to help. Neighbors arrive with wagons to help transport the Fiskes’ belongings to high ground, and women bring food and offer shelter. The blacksmith, Sven Hensen, even makes a determined, if futile, attempt to cap the spouts with a washtub. These acts of kindness show that, although the community can’t undo the magic, they do everything they can to help the family through the crisis. Instead of facing the disaster alone, the Fiskes receive practical support from the people around them, showing the importance of helping others in difficult times.
This theme is also shown through the friendships and support the three children receive. The magical consequences of their wishes leave them feeling isolated: Polly’s croaking silences her and invites ridicule, while Rowena’s secret about Henry forces her into a lonely struggle. Yet they’re not left entirely alone. The Wickstaff twins stand by Polly, helping her cope with what has happened and puzzling over its cause. Even more significantly, the farmhand Sam becomes a steady source of support for Rowena. He helps her care for the transformed Henry, offers practical solutions, and stands by her throughout the crisis. Sam’s selfless assistance, offered without any thought of personal gain, stands in clear contrast to Henry’s selfish motives and the consequences of Rowena’s own wish. These acts of friendship show that kindness and support help the children overcome the challenges created by their wishes.
Ultimately, the resolution for all three characters comes through a selfless act rather than their own wishes. Realizing that they can’t solve their problems on their own, Polly, Rowena, and Adam go to Stew Meat’s store, where he uses the final wish card. Stew Meat gives up the chance to make a wish for himself and instead wishes to “have their wishes canceled out” (176). This selfless decision, which benefits everyone instead of himself, reinforces the novel’s message about the importance of helping others.
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