Exploring Charlotte’s Web In the classic, heart-warming novel, “Charlotte’s Web” author E. B. White communicates the beauty of unconditional friendship and loyalty through the journey of a courageous little pig named Wilbur. White implements both young children and a list of farm animals within the story that serve as familiar characters that younger readers can relate to and cherish. Surprisingly, the strategy of animal personification, seen in both this novel and in more recent works of children’s literature, is a practice that was once advocated against due to the belief that it was not scriptural (Flores, “History of children’s Literature”). This general connection allows this fantasy to exemplify a didactic nature, giving it more of a
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The constant theme of life and death and the tension to survive are constant subjects that White is unafraid to confront in the novel. Throughout the story, Wilbur is plagued with the constant fear of becoming the next meal on the Christmas table. However, the story ends unexpectedly when Wilbur is spared from being slaughtered, yet his beloved friend Charlotte passes away before he could even enjoy his preservation. The emotional roller coaster exemplified throughout the story is an illustration of the inescapable reality of death. Nonethless, the author also epitomizes the beauty of rebirth by using Charlotte’s egg sack as a symbol of celebration, despite the passing of an adorned character. In the textbook, Russell also mentions a term known as bibliotherapy. This term “refers to the use of books, poerty, or other written material to address emotional or psychological issues” (31). It is obvious that death is never an easy occurrence to cope with, especially when it is a child who is exposed to its harsh consequences. Nonetheless, books like “Charlotte’s Web”, for example, have the potential to heal many psychological and emotional issues by providing the reader the opportunity to address an inner struggle. Moreover, this is why it is crucial for writers to be as genuine as possible when
The constant theme of life and death and the tension to survive are constant subjects that White is unafraid to confront in the novel. Throughout the story, Wilbur is plagued with the constant fear of becoming the next meal on the Christmas table. However, the story ends unexpectedly when Wilbur is spared from being slaughtered, yet his beloved friend Charlotte passes away before he could even enjoy his preservation. The emotional roller coaster exemplified throughout the story is an illustration of the inescapable reality of death. Nonethless, the author also epitomizes the beauty of rebirth by using Charlotte’s egg sack as a symbol of celebration, despite the passing of an adorned character. In the textbook, Russell also mentions a term known as bibliotherapy. This term “refers to the use of books, poerty, or other written material to address emotional or psychological issues” (31). It is obvious that death is never an easy occurrence to cope with, especially when it is a child who is exposed to its harsh consequences. Nonetheless, books like “Charlotte’s Web”, for example, have the potential to heal many psychological and emotional issues by providing the reader the opportunity to address an inner struggle. Moreover, this is why it is crucial for writers to be as genuine as possible when