This past week, as I worked my way through an intense heat wave and another depressive episode, I thought ahead to when my partner and I will attend our state’s summer fair. I cheered myself with thoughts of eating funnel cakes and riding rides on the midway and seeing all the farm animals. At last year’s fair, we even had the privilege of seeing a sow nursing her litter of piglets, which were born that very day. Thinking about those adorable baby pigs and their mother made me think of Wilbur’s trip to the county fair in Charlotte’s Web, and I was inspired to remember the joy and fun of a summer fair through that book.
But I also picked the book up again because I needed an emotional catharsis from an extremely difficult work week. And if any book was going to be gentle and familiar, but also make me cry, it was going to be Charlotte’s Web.
On a New England farm, eight-year-old Fern Arable stops her father from killing the runt of a litter of piglets, whom she names Wilbur. When Wilbur grows up, he is sold down the road to Fern’s uncle’s farm, where he befriends Charlotte, the kind-hearted and hard-working spider who lives in the corner of his pigpen. But Wilbur’s idyllic life is put in danger when he learns that come autumn, he will likely be killed for ham and bacon. Charlotte comes up with a plan to save Wilbur’s life, and it starts with two words that she writes into her web: “Some Pig.”
I forgot how lovely E.B. White’s writing is. He describes the beauty and tranquility of a New England farm in spring and summer, and all the human and animal activity that goes on there. White engages all your senses so that you can fully immerse yourself in the beautiful country setting. And even if the characters are not doing anything except just living their lives on the farm, you enjoy watching this lifestyle play out. The writing is interesting enough that even when Wilbur is listing off his extensive schedule for the day, you’re still charmed seeing how this pig lives his life.
It’s very clear that E.B. White looks back quite fondly on the New England landscape and farming lifestyle he grew up with. Charlotte’s Web takes you back to the idyllic magic of childhood summer, with birds singing, the day’s heat simmering with smells of sweet treats and greasy food, silly games, and flowers growing in vivid bunches. The setting, written in almost a transcendent and reverent way, plays a very strong part in sticking the story in your mind, with the charming characters pulling the rest of the weight.
I always felt so terrible for Wilbur. He starts life as a runt who would have been killed if Fern hadn’t intervened. He only enjoys a few weeks with her before he is taken away to live in a place where everyone is too proud or busy to be his friend while Fern is gone. That always upset me the most: that all he wants is a friend, and no one can do that for him. It’s like, he’s just been taken from the only home he’s ever known, and even the lambs are too proud to be his friend, so won’t someone just give the damn pig a hug before he starts crying again?
As quite sensitive as Wilbur is (after all, he does faint when heaped with too much praise), he is also fiercely loyal. When his friends, particularly Charlotte, are threatened, he takes charge and doesn’t hesitate to protect them. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of a nap when a crisis arises, because if you’re the only one who can protect Charlotte, then Wilbur will get your sleepy butt in gear so you can get the job done.
This book is full of iconic characters. Charlotte is kind, intelligent, and about as loyal as Wilbur. The animals on Zuckerman’s farm are quite funny and memorable, particularly the geese, with their funny way of talking, and Templeton the rat. Templeton always made me laugh, especially when he gorges on junk food at the fair and shows back up to Wilbur’s pigpen like he’d gorged on heavy drinks instead of rich food. Make no mistake, he is selfish and only does what people ask if there’s something in it for him, but he does assist in saving Wilbur’s life, so perhaps he deserves a little credit.
I don’t think it’s a spoiler at this point to talk about the ending. I’m sure most people know that Charlotte sacrifices her life to successfully save Wilbur, and it’s just as gut-punching now as it’s always been. I thought I was ready for it, but the finality that White gives to her death is so somber and matter-of-fact that I cried anyway. God help me, I am tearing up right now thinking about that sweet and selfless creature being all alone when she takes her last breath.
What makes the ending so painful is how Charlotte tells Wilbur all the wonderful things he will experience now that his life is saved, which are also things she will never see again. She describes how the seasons will change, especially the autumn and winter, showing Wilbur that life will be worth living even if she cannot come back with him to the farm. Charlotte even bluntly states that death is inevitable, so why should she be afraid of it, especially if she has done something remarkable with her own in saving a dear friend’s life. It’s a really existential moment that I’ve always taken for granted, but I now understand the gravitas of now that I’m older.
Charlotte’s Web is one of the best children’s books of the last hundred years because of its emotional power, memorable characters, and its gentle but matter-of-fact tone. It’s one of those stories that I come to for both a gentle emotional catharsis and some amusing animal antics. I’ll continue to hold it close to my heart, and I hope it continues to move other readers for years and years to come.
The Library Key 