Charlotte's Web Flashcards
Spider
Charlotte
Pig
Wilbur
little girl
Fern Arable
Rat
Templeton
Boy Fern likes
Henry Fussie
Theme: Friendship
Friendship is the foundation of this novel. Without Fern’s love for Wilbur he would have been killed as a runt and without Charlotte’s love he would be served up on the Christmas dinner table. Despite the fact that some view this novel as pessimistic, Wilbur is ultimately saved (twice) by love – a fundamentally optimistic message. Although this is not a typical fairytale romance where boy and girl meet and fall in love, the love here is equally powerful.
As Charlotte says, “what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to life up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.” Although Charlotte perishes in the end, her life is given meaning by helping Wilbur and the effort she goes to in order to save him makes her feel happy that her life has had purpose.
Theme: Life, Death and Time Passing
In Charlotte’s Web, nature plays a constant role in the background, moving forward regardless of the events in the story. The changing seasons dictate the actions of both humans and animals, with the passage of time being unavoidable. For example, as summer approaches, the tasks on the farm are tied to nature’s cycles, such as cutting and storing hay. Wilbur’s survival is also tied to time, as he must prove his worth before winter, when Mr. Zuckerman plans to slaughter him for Christmas.
The novel emphasizes the cyclical nature of life, as symbolized by the Ferris wheel at the fair, which represents the passage of time. Life and death are in tension throughout the story, beginning when Fern saves Wilbur from death. Wilbur is constantly fearful of death, and when he finally feels safe, his best friend Charlotte dies. However, her egg sac symbolizes renewal and the ongoing cycle of life. While some critics saw the story as pessimistic, White portrays life and death unsentimentally, highlighting nature’s continuous process of renewal and regeneration.
Symbol: Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s web symbolizes the power of language. Although spiders, like Charlotte, are not well liked and might be considered bloodthirsty, Charlotte show wisdom and cunning in the way she tricks humans into reading her web. Not only does she draw the humans into her web, but she shapes what people think about Wilbur and what Wilbur thinks about himself. By calling Wilbur “some pig,” the Zuckermans begin viewing him as special. When Charlotte begins to use other descriptors such as “terrific,” “radiant,” and “humble,” Wilbur attempts to live up to them. Charlotte disregards words such as “crunchy” that would lead to people viewing Wilbur in an appetizing way. Choosing language to spin into her web that speaks positively about Wilbur ultimately saves his life.
Symbol: Charlotte’s Egg Sac
Charlotte’s egg sac symbolizes hope for the future. Before Charlotte dies at the fair, she makes an egg sac that Wilbur takes home with him. Throughout the story, Charlotte provided hope and friendship for Wilbur and ultimately saved his life. However, Wilbur still experiences the pain of death when his closest friend dies. When he takes the egg sac home, he has hope for a new future, living up to all of the things that he learned from Charlotte that helped him mature. This hope for the future is even marked in the way that he looks after egg sac. He is no longer young and bored but takes his responsibility of looking after Charlotte’s children seriously. When they emerge from the egg sac, Wilbur’s hope is found to be rightly placed. When three of Charlotte’s daughters stay, we see the realization of the Wilbur’s hope for the future, with friends for many years to come.
Author and date
E. B. White wrote Charlotte’s Web and it was published in 1952
