Intro to Children’s Literature April 20, 2013

I have loved this book since I first read it in the 5th grade with my mother. Charlotte’s Web opens the door to a magical world in which a girl named Fern explores. Fern spends her free time with Wilbur the pig, which she loves. The other barn animals also play a large part in Wilbur’s life. Charlotte A. Cavatica, the large grey spider, befriends Wilbur and helps him deal with the shocking news that his life will end as bacon on someone’s plate. Charlotte goes as far as coming up with an interesting plan that only this spider could carry out with the help of Templeton the rat, who never does anything unless there is something in it for himself, to help Wilbur escape death.

The mixture of flat and round characters served an entertaining and specific purpose. A flat character is described as non-dimensional and does not develop emotionally from beginning to end of a story. In contrast, a round character is similar to a real human being, which changes emotions with different actions and situations that occur. One example of a flat character is Templeton. A rat is typically associated with filth and garbage, and with the idea of dishonesty. In the book, Templeton literally entrenched himself in garbage, taking pleasure in eating up the scraps in Wilbur's food, or sneaking around the fair to find leftovers. He was also selfish in his constant need to bargain with anyone asking a favor of him. Each time Charlotte asked him to go to the dump and bring back a word, Templeton argued with her. In addition, at the end of the story when Wilbur wants to save Charlotte's eggs, Templeton refuses until Wilbur agrees to let Templeton indulge first in his dinner every night. Templeton's attitude remained unchanging over the course of the story, which served as an obstacle for Wilbur and Charlotte. Charlotte was kind, well spoken and loyal. Most people fear spiders in real life, but everyone who knew Charlotte loved her. This type of character occurs in day-to-day life. There are people that are looking out for their own selves, and do not mind the thoughts and opinions of others. This type of flat character is difficult to get along with, however is detrimental to society.

In comparison, Fern is a round character. She shows her emotions throughout the book during many different situations. For example, in the beginning of the book, she automatically befriends Wilbur before even meeting him. As Fern’s father goes to the hog house with an ax, she compares herself to the pig saying if she “had been smaller at birth, would you have killed me” (White, Chapter 1). Fern visits Wilbur every day while he lives at Zuckerman’s farm. She was a constant in Wilbur’s life, as well as the rest of the barn animals lives. When Charlotte helped Wilbur to become famous, Fern was the constant character that believed in the two friends. Everyone else doubted her, as well as the animals. She was the positivity that Wilbur and Charlotte needed to stay well known. Fern is a well-rounded innocent child. Many people can relate to her because they are empathetic to her situations.

Charlotte is definitely not a flat character. She has many different facets. She is portrayed in a motherly role, as well as a best friend. Not only does she take care of Wilbur and make sure all of his needs are met and he makes friends with the other animals, but she also gives him advice and she helps him to become “Some Pig.” She works tirelessly to save him and even though she is dying at the end of the novel, she motivates herself to write the words that will secure his safety. Her love for Wilbur pushes her to save his life and she manages to produce a miracle, she singlehandedly manages to make the humans see in Wilbur what she sees: a ‘terrific’ and ‘radiant’ ‘humble’ pig. Charlotte is a mother figure that all human beings can relate to. There will always be a person that meets the needs of the people around them.

One of the main Charlotte's Web themes is friendship. You can find several places in the book with examples of what a real friend, or true friend, is. For example, Fern becomes Wilbur’s friend before she even meets him. She defends him by standing up to her father to protest Wilbur being killed. In Charlotte's Web, friendships are not limited to the pigpen. In fact, Wilbur's first friend is Fern. Fern sure likes being friends with all the barn animals. However, this human-animal friendship changes over time. Charlotte works very hard to save Wilbur's life. She comes up with different words for her web to describe Wilbur. She talks to Wilbur when he is sad at the beginning of the book. Charlotte did not receive recognition for her work in earning Wilbur the county fair prize. To her, their success is still something they shared together. She lived vicariously through Wilbur because he is her best friend. Wilbur takes care of Charlotte's babies after she dies. He wants to help Charlotte even though she is no longer here to help him. This is another example of true friendship.

Despite the ties of friendship that are made, individuality is also an apparent theme. There is also a very touching moment when Wilbur tries to spin a web and can not, implying that Charlotte and Wilbur are different in their individual genetic makeup as well as their different personalities. Undoubtedly, these differences mean that they travel down different roads during their life. When Wilbur is very young, Wilbur, Fern and Avery go down to the brook for a swim, Wilbur prefers to wade in the mud on the edge of the brook. Although he feels at this stage as though he and Fern are inseparable, this is an early indication that they are two very different creatures and that one day this difference will push them in individual directions.

E.B. White used his own residence in Maine help to inspire him to write this story. He was carrying a bucket of slop to his own pigs when he came across the web of the spider Arenea Cavatica in the doorway. After that, he decided to write a story in which a spider saves a pig. He transformed his own barnyard into a fictional world where animals talk and have their own personalities. He used descriptions like “the barn was large, it was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure…it often had a sort of peaceful smell, as though nothing bad could happen ever again in the world”. (White, Chapter 3). Using these evocative words, the reader is able to connect and envision what the barn looked and smelled like. Using not only the reader’s imagination, past experiences help connect this other world to real life. The readers would not likely confuse this setting with any generalized backdrop, since each item in the description shows the singularity of this setting. Nature also echoes the changes that take place in the novel: Wilbur is born in the spring, which is characteristically a time of renewal, and Charlotte dies in the autumn. On Wilbur’s loneliest day in the barn, nature also reflects how he is feeling: it is “rainy and dark”.
Imagination is an important skill that all human beings gain through different experiences. Some play video games, some play pretend and others read fantasy books. The imagination gained from these experiences help to amplify further their thoughts. Altered reality is a way for individuals to escape daily life and experience different happenings. Within this altered life, an individual can forget about the problems of every day reality. Reading a realistic fiction does not allow the mind to escape into a different world, since the setting is much more similar to life. In Charlotte’s Web, the reader can experience an altered reality of life on a farm with animals that talk. The opportunity to understand animals that have the characteristics of humans is only achievable through an altered reality.

Charlotte’s Web can be used to supplement and influence learning in development for children of any age, as well as adults. This literature allows us into the mind of human and shows human motives, in both the animals and humans, and invites the reader to identify with or react to a character. We may see into the mind of the character, or into the subconscious that even the character does not know. Through the writer’s careful choice of details, we come to see clearly the motivation for action. If in these chosen details we see some similarity to our own lives, we identify with the character, feeling that we understand the motives and can justify the deeds. Seeing the error in judgment that the character fails to see, we, as readers, can see it and understand their view. Seeing motives we disapprove of, we distrust, or seeing a reflection of our own mistakes, we forgive. In addition, the setting and timeline of the piece of the literature allows us to learn about nature. The life cycle and seasons coincide together in harmony and allow the reader to see the progression of the characters.

E.B. White. Charlotte’s Web. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. 1974. Print

www.wenovel.com. Charlotte’s Web, 2010-2013. April 20, 2013

www.gradesaver.com. Charlotte’s Web, 1999-2013. April 20, 2013

R. Lukens, J. Smith, C. Miller Coffel. A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature, Ninth Edition, New York: Pearson. 2013, 2007, 2003. Print