Charlotte's Web
E.B. White (1952)
“A spider writes words in her web to save a pig — and in doing so, writes one of the most honest books about death ever published for children.”
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Charlotte's Web
E.B. White (1952) · 184pages · Mid-Century American / Post-War
Summary
Wilbur the pig is born the runt of the litter and saved from slaughter by eight-year-old Fern Arable, who raises him by hand. When Wilbur is sold to a neighboring farm, he faces a new threat: he will be butchered in December. His barn friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a grey spider, saves him by weaving words into her web — SOME PIG, TERRIFIC, RADIANT, HUMBLE — making him famous enough that no one will kill a celebrity. Charlotte dies at the fair, alone, after laying her egg sac. Her children are born in the spring. Three stay. The cycle of the barn continues.
Why It Matters
Published in 1952 and has never gone out of print. Has sold over 45 million copies — making it one of the best-selling children's books in history. Routinely appears on lists of the greatest American children's books. Notable for being one of the very few children's books that handles death hones...
Themes & Motifs
Diction & Style
Register: Conversational but exact — Strunk and White's 'omit needless words' applied to fantasy. White's prose never wastes a syllable.
Narrator: Third-person omniscient, close to Wilbur but not limited to him. White's narration sounds like a wise, warm adult rea...
Figurative Language: Low
Historical Context
Post-WWII America, early Cold War, 1952: The novel appeared at a moment when American farm life was about to be industrialized beyond recognition. The Zuckerman farm — small, family-run, direct relationship between farmer and animal — was...
Key Characters
Talking Points
- Charlotte chooses her words carefully — SOME PIG, TERRIFIC, RADIANT, HUMBLE. Why these four words in this order? What would be lost if she had written AMAZING or WONDERFUL instead?
- Wilbur says 'I don't want to die, plain and simple.' Why does White use the phrase 'plain and simple' here? How does the word 'plain' connect to how Charlotte speaks at the end of the novel?
- Charlotte is a spider who eats flies. Wilbur is disturbed by this when he first sees it. By the end of the novel, does his view change? Does it have to change for their friendship to work?
- Templeton the rat helps save Wilbur's life — but always for selfish reasons. Is Templeton a good character? Can self-interest produce good outcomes?
- The crickets' song says 'Summer is over and gone, over and gone.' This appears before anything bad has happened. Why does White introduce grief before Charlotte dies or Wilbur is threatened?
Notable Quotes
“The pig couldn't help being born small, could it? If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?”
“'It's a perfectly good little pig,' said Fern. 'There's no difference between a little pig and a big pig. Pigs are pigs.'”
“Wilbur liked Charlotte's web. He thought it was beautiful.”
Why Read This
Because it is the most honest book about death that is also a completely joyful reading experience. Because Charlotte is one of the great writers in American fiction, and watching her choose words teaches you something about writing that no textbo...