Over The Garden Wall - Life Lesson

*SPOILER WARNING*

Life lessons are messages that convey useful knowledge or principles. Where better to put life lessons than in cartoons? Children will see them, and learn important values while being entertained at the same time. Today, I’ll be talking about one cartoon in particular, Cartoon Network’s first mini series, Over The Garden Wall.

This short format, 10 episode show is littered with subtext and is very emotional. Over The Garden Wall teaches a simple lesson: as easy as it is to give up, you should always keep trying. The show conveys this message many times throughout the story through the characters Wirt and Greg.

Wirt is a cynical, pessimistic high schooler.

 After getting lost in the woods with his little brother, Greg, Wirt desperately wants to go home, but he gives up hope many  times along the way. But, in the woods of the unknown, giving up means you turn into an edelwood tree, to eventually be harvested by The Beast, never to return home.

Then, there’s his goofy, optimistic, and adorable half-brother Greg. Greg never gives up hope of returning home, and believes that Wirt can lead him.

Greg is incredibly brave, if not just oblivious to all around him. He doesn’t flinch at the sight of danger, but instead faces it head on.

      When Wirt finally decides that there’s no way of getting home, and starts to turn into a tree, Greg makes a deal with the Beast, sacrificing himself in order to save his brother, believing that Wirt will find his way home, and out of the unknown.

Wirt eventually musters up some courage, and saves Greg from the Beast’s clutches. Learning from Greg’s optimistic attitude, and deciding not to surrender to despair, they defeat the Beast in the end, and end up getting to leave the forest of the unknown. 

The overall lesson of Over The Garden Wall is very clear in the end. With growing up, you gain a certain cynicism and negativity, but this show is trying to say that you shouldn’t let that overtake your goals. You should remain hopeful no matter the situation.