Charlotte's Web

“Go down through the orchard, root up the sod! Go down through the garden, dig up the radishes! Root up everything! Eat grass! Look for corn! Look for oats! Run all over! Skip and dance, jump and prance! Go down through the orchard and stroll in the woods! The world is a wonderful place when you’re young.”

One of the underlying morals of Charlotte’s Web is the importance of seizing the day and valuing the short life that people and animals are given. When Wilbur moves to the farm, he is put in a pen, and it is much different than the free and easy life he had before with Fern. One day, he decides to leave his pen, and the goose who lives on the farm encourages him to embrace his temporary freedom. He tells Wilbur to do all the things that pigs do best, and to enjoy them, because this moment is fleeting, just like their lives.

“An hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops.”

When Wilbur escapes his pen, Lurvy and the Zuckermans find a way to entice him back in with food. Being a pig, Wilbur is easily enticed by food, and this time is no exception. The goose warns him that it is a trick, and that he will miss his freedom more than a bucket of slops, but Wilbur pays no mind and chooses the food over his freedom. Wilbur values the love, comfort, and safety of the farm more than anything, setting him apart from the animalistic goose who values freedom away from humans the most.

“I don’t think there is any such thing as less than nothing. Nothing is absolutely the limit of nothingness. It’s the lowest you can go. It’s the end of the line. How can something be less than nothing? If there were something that was less than nothing, then nothing would not be nothing, it would be something even though it’s just a very little bit of something. But if nothing is nothing, then nothing has nothing that is less than it is.”

Wilbur and the other animals on the farm are personified in many ways, including their ability to philosophize. Wilbur gets involved in a discussion with the lamb when he asks the lamb to play with him, and the lamb responds that pigs mean less than nothing to him. Wilbur argues that there can be no such thing as less than nothing. In this conversation, he demonstrates both his intelligence and his inclination towards pondering the nature of existence.

“The song sparrow, who knows how brief and lovely life is, says, ‘Sweet, sweet, sweet interlude; sweet, sweet, sweet interlude.’”

Like the crickets whose sound ushers in the fall, the bird songs usher in the summer. Through the saving of Wilbur and the short but meaningful life of Charlotte, it is illustrated that life is brief but beautiful. Charlotte is quite aware of this fact and wants to give Wilbur as much time as possible to enjoy it. She knows that her own life will be short, but that she can affect the length of Wilbur’s life by influencing the humans who care for him.

“I want to stay alive, right here in my comfortable manure pile with all my friends. I want to breathe the beautiful air and lie in the beautiful sun.”

The old sheep’s warning that Wilbur will most likely be slaughtered for food startles Wilbur, highlighting the status he maintains on the farm. Due to his size as the runt, Wilbur has been sheltered since birth and any mention of true farm practices strikes fear in him due to his familiarity with humans and the comfort they provide. The relationship Wilbur has with Fern is also emphasized in these moments, as he fears for his life while Fern has spent her childhood protecting him.

“Maybe our ears aren’t as sharp as Fern’s.”

Mr. Arable’s suggestion that Fern’s ability to hear conversations between the barn animals due to her ears highlights the differences between the jaded adults and childlike wonder within the novel. Mr. Arable’s observation that children are inclined to pay closer attention to things that adults who rush through life may miss underscores the novel’s argument for savoring life due to its fleeting nature. Children like Fern are not yet jaded by life like adults, illustrating how childhood maintains a wonder about life that it lost in adulthood.

“Charlotte watched in delight. Like Fern, she was truly fond of Wilbur, whose smelly pen and stale food attracted the flies that she needed, and she was proud to see that he was not a quitter and was willing to try again to spin a web.”

Wilbur’s determination to spin a spider’s web provides a childlike charm that amuses and endears Charlotte to the pig. In Wilbur’s rejection of his inability to act like a spider, Charlotte is reminded of the joy of optimism, no matter how unrealistic. Wilbur’s comfortability in assuming the role of a different animal speaks to his status on the farm again, as not quite a farm animal, not quite a family pet. Charlotte’s testing of Wilbur’s persistence encourages their relationship dynamic of a kind of mother and son.

“Wilbur heard the trill of the tree toad and the occasional slamming of the kitchen door. All these sounds made him feel comfortable and happy, for he loved life and loved to be a part of the world on a summer evening. But as he lay there he remembered what the old sheep had told him. The thought of death came to him, and he began to tremble with fear.”

Wilbur and Charlotte discuss what his life would be like if he were a free pig, and Wilbur becomes frustrated and decides to try and sleep. As he lies in the barn, he cannot help but marvel at the beauty and comfort of his surroundings, however trapped he may ultimately be. At the same time, though, Wilbur worries that Charlotte will not be able to save him, and he will meet the fate the sheep warned him about. It becomes difficult for Wilbur to enjoy life in the innocent and carefree way he once did, and he is only able to again when he is assured that his life is saved.

“On foggy mornings, Charlotte’s web was truly a thing of beauty. This morning each thin strand was decorated with dozens of tiny beads of water. The web glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate veil.”

Every central moment in the novel is precluded by an exposé of the beauty of nature. Charlotte’s web is a marvel on an ordinary day, but when it is shrouded in the mist of the morning fog and covered in dew, it is particularly beautiful. This is the day that Charlotte’s first words will be revealed, and the loveliness and mystery that Charlotte’s web exhibits describe her character as well.

“‘You know,’ he said, in an important voice, ‘I’ve thought all along that that pig of ours was an extra good one. He’s a solid pig. That pig is as solid as they come. You notice how solid he is around the shoulders, Lurvy?’ ‘Sure. Sure I do,’ said Lurvy. ‘I’ve always noticed that pig. He’s quite a pig.’ ‘He’s long, and he’s smooth,’ said Zuckerman. ‘That’s right,’ agreed Lurvy. ‘He’s as smooth as they come. He’s some pig.’”

Charlotte believes that the humans will be gullible enough to be fooled by the words in her web to believe that Wilbur is a special pig and thus not slaughter him for Christmas dinner. She turns out to be correct, and Mr. Zuckerman is particularly swayed by the supposed miracle before him. He becomes instantly self-important, and ironically does not see the true reasons why Wilbur is special; instead, he believes that his smooth, long body is the reason for the miracle.

‘“You’re terrific as far as I’m concerned,’ replied Charlotte, sweetly, ‘and that’s what counts. You’re my best friend, and I think you’re sensational. Now stop arguing and go get some sleep!’”

Charlotte needs an idea for the next word to spin to describe Wilbur. The goose suggests the word “terrific,” and Charlotte thinks it is a fine idea if she can spell it. Wilbur is a humble pig, and does not see himself as terrific, but Charlotte does. Charlotte and Wilbur have bonded and are best friends, and Charlotte feels a deep love and protection for Wilbur. She acts as a mother figure to him, keeping him safe and lecturing him when it is time to sleep, serving as his caretaker when Fern is not able to do so.

“Sleep, sleep, my love, my only,

Deep, deep, in the dung and the dark;

Be not afraid and be not lonely!

This is the hour when frogs and thrushes

Praise the world from the woods and the rushes.

Rest from care, my one and only,

Deep in the dung and the dark!”

Charlotte takes care of Wilbur as if he were her child. She loves him dearly and wants to keep him happy and safe. When night comes and the anxious Wilbur starts thinking dark thoughts, Charlotte is always there to calm him to sleep. She sings him a lullaby about the beauty of the barn and the forest surrounding it, assuring Wilbur that he need not be lonely with her around.

“When the words appeared, everyone said they were a miracle. But nobody pointed out that the web itself is a miracle.”

Mrs. Arable’s observation highlights Charlotte’s ultimate influence over Wilbur’s life and survival. When Mrs. Arable visits Doctor Dorian concerning Fern’s time spent at the barn, the doctor points out that, the words aside, the web itself is a miracle because the spider spins it without ever being taught. Humans need to be taught to perform such skillful acts, but animals can do them inherently, furthering the differences between the two.

“No pig ever had truer friends, and he realized that friendship is one of the most satisfying things in the world.”

Wilbur takes comfort in knowing that he is surrounded by friends who care for him every single day. He started his life as a dear friend of Fern’s, and then developed a close bond with Charlotte, Templeton, and the other farm animals. These relationships have been key to his survival and growth on the farm. Wilbur is a social animal and takes great joy in the simple moments that he has with his friends.

“I feel like the end of a long day.”

Charlotte begins foreshadowing her own death when she starts expressing her increasingly tired state. She feels as though she is languishing and losing the vitality and energy that she had in the spring and early summer. She knows that she will not live much longer and wants to ensure that Wilbur will be kept alive while she still can. Still, she worries that she may not have the energy required to do what is needed to help him.

“You are a famous pig and you are a good pig. Tomorrow you will probably win a prize. The whole world will hear about you. Zuckerman will be proud and happy to own such a pig. You have nothing to fear, Wilbur—nothing to worry about. Maybe you’ll live forever—who knows?”

Charlotte illustrates the security she feels for Wilbur’s future as she emphasizes his positive status within the Zuckerman farm. Now confident that Wilbur’s future is secure, Charlotte comforts him as she continues her role as a mother figure. Charlotte’s speech reflects the unknown she is to face soon in death and ensures Wilbur that he is immortalized in the story of the miraculous web.

“Charlotte’s web never looked more beautiful than it looked this morning. Each strand held dozens of bright drops of early morning dew. The light from the east struck it and made it all plain and clear. It was a perfect piece of designing and building.”

A web is a creation that holds a specific purpose and that requires specialized skills and body parts to assemble. With the addition of Charlotte’s unique talent in writing words in her web, it becomes what people view as a miracle. Nature is a prominent source of imagery in the novel, and Charlotte’s web is often described as glittering and glowing in the dew of the morning sun.

“Charlotte crouched unseen, her front legs encircling her egg sac. Her heart was not beating as strongly as usual and she felt weary and old, but she was sure at last that she had saved Wilbur’s life, and she felt peaceful and contented.”

Charlotte gains contentment when she realizes she has ensured Wilbur’s survival, emphasizing her motherly connection with him. Her last act is fulfilled when she knows her offspring—hypothetically in Wilbur and literally with her eggs—will be cared for. Her character arc comes to an end with her death and the fulfillment of her role as Wilbur’s caretaker. Wilbur, in turn, will care for Charlotte’s children.

“Note the general radiance of this animal! Then remember the day when the word ‘radiant’ appeared clearly on the web. Whence came this mysterious writing? Not from the spider, we can rest assured of that. Spiders are very clever at weaving their webs, but needless to say spiders cannot write.”

The differences between humans and animals are pushed to the forefront again as an announcer attributes the web’s design to a miracle instead giving credit to the spider who created it. Charlotte’s view of humans, beings who make foolish judgments, is reinforced as humans view the web as a miracle instead of seeing Charlotte’s creation as a deliberate design.

“Your success in the ring this morning was, to a small degree, my success. Your future is assured. You will live, secure and safe, Wilbur. Nothing can harm you now.”

Charlotte feels she has succeeded when Wilbur wins a prize at the County Fair, emphasizing her bong with him. Charlotte’s assurance to Wilbur that he will not be harmed completes her character arc as Wilbur’s caretaker and mother figure as she readies to pass away.

“‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, 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 lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.’”

Life is precious and brief, and both Charlotte and Wilbur know this well. Charlotte’s life is particularly short—she only lives through two seasons. However, despite her life being short, she feels that it was fulfilling and meaningful because she had a friend. Wilbur gave Charlotte’s life a purpose beyond the normal nature of a spider, and Charlotte appreciates him for that. She also has a simple and deep affection for Wilbur, just as he is.

“Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all. No one was with her when she died.”

Charlotte undertakes the grandest feat of any character in the story. She spins words into her web to fool the humans into keeping Wilbur alive. The speaker who announces Wilbur’s prize goes out of his way to make it clear that he does not believe a simple spider could perform such an act without the intervention of a miracle. Charlotte thus dies with no human having understood how important she was.

“Welcome to the barn cellar. You have chosen a hallowed doorway from which to string your webs. I think it is only fair to tell you that I was devoted to your mother. I owe my very life to her. She was brilliant, beautiful, and loyal to the end. I shall always treasure her memory. To you, her daughters, I pledge my friendship, forever and ever.”

Wilbur is distraught for a long time after Charlotte dies. To return the care she gave him, Wilbur introduces himself to Charlotte’s daughters as a great friend of their mother’s and makes sure to tell them just how remarkable she was. He vows to be their friends forever and upholds this promise by befriending the descendants of Charlotte for years to come, maintaining a relationship with her beyond her own lifetime.