What is the story of Charlotte's web?
Charlotte's Web is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte.
What did Charlotte's web say about Wilbur?
''When Charlotte's web said SOME PIG, Wilbur had tried hard to look like some pig. When Charlotte's web said TERRIFIC, Wilbur had tried to look terrific. And now that the web said RADIANT, he did everything possible to make himself glow. '' Click to see full answer. Just so, what words did Charlotte write in her web?
What are the first words Charlotte weaves into her web?
The first words Charlotte weaves into her web are SOME PIG. Charlotte chooses these words because she is trying to save her friend Wilbur, a pig, from being slaughtered for food and encourage people to appreciate him in a new way.
What are the four messages that Charlotte spins in her web?
Charlotte, the spider and main character of "Charlotte's Web," spins four messages in her web over the course of the novel, including "SOME PIG!," "TERRIFIC," "RADIANT" and "HUMBLE." The original purpose of the web writing is to spare Wilbur's life, as the pig was going to be slaughtered for meat as a runt.
What does Charlotte's last web say?
HUMBLEThe final word that Charlotte weaves into her web is HUMBLE, which means modest or not proud. Even though people come from all around to see Wilbur and think he is special, he does not let their attention change his personality.Jan 12, 2022
What did the web say in Charlotte's web?
Charlotte spins the words “Some Pig” into her web, and all the people on the farm and in the town are amazed. Later, the word “Terrific” is written in the web. The miracle of Charlotte's web creates a lot of attention in the community, and Zuckerman's farm—and Zuckerman's pig, Wilbur—become famous.
What does Charlotte's first web say?
Some PigThe novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur (such as "Some Pig") in her web in order to persuade the farmer to let him live.
What is a good quote from Charlotte's web?
"Friendship is one of the most satisfying things in the world." "It is deeply satisfying to win a prize in front of a lot of people." "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.Jul 4, 2020
What messages did Charlotte wrote in her web?
With the assistance of a sneaky rat named Templeton and some of the other animals in the barn, she writes a message in her web: “Some Pig.” More strange messages appear in the web, sparking people from miles around to visit these “divine” manifestations and the pig that inspired them.
What did Charlotte say to Wilbur?
“Charlotte,” said Wilbur. “We're all going home today. The Fair is almost over. Won't it be wonderful to be back home in the barn cellar again with the sheep and the geese?
What was the advice Charlotte told Wilbur?
What was her answer? Wilbur tells Charlotte that if she will stay at the fair, he will stay, too, but Charlotte tells him to go home to the barn.
What was the first thing that Charlotte wove into her web that made everyone think that Wilbur was special?
SOME PIG(1) Write the words "SOME PIG" in the middle of her spider web. This makes everyone think that Wilbur sure is something special. In fact, they think he's "some pig."
What does Charlotte first say to Wilbur?
She says, ''Your success in the ring this morning was, to a small degree, my success. Your future is assured'' (safe). Charlotte tells Wilbur she helped him because he was her friend, which ''is a tremendous thing.Jan 12, 2022
What did Charlotte say was her great work the finest thing I have ever made?
“That's Latin,” explained Charlotte. “It means 'great work. ' This egg sac is my great work—the finest thing I have ever made.”
How did Wilbur say goodbye to Charlotte?
So Wilbur stores the egg sac in the only safe place he can think of: inside his mouth. The good news is that the egg sac will be safe. The bad news is that Wilbur can't talk. Instead, he gives Charlotte a wink to tell her goodbye.
How many messages does Charlotte's web have?
Sarah Walbert/CC-BY-2.0. Charlotte, the spider and main character of "Charlotte's Web," spins four messages in her web over the course of the novel, including "SOME PIG!," "TERRIFIC," "RADIANT" and "HUMBLE.".
What does the spider web symbolize in the book?
As the writing in the web becomes more famous, so does Wilbur. Shmoop explains that the spider's web in the story may be symbolic of strength and fragility. Charlotte informs readers that webs are strong when they hold together, yet insects tear the web every time one gets caught in the trap.
Why is the pig a local celebrity?
The pig becomes a local celebrity at the fair when people flock to see "Zuckerman 's famous pig ," though he's only well-known because Charlotte feels that Wilbur is special. The pair's friendship blossoms to the point that Wilbur helps take care of Charlotte's many children.
What is the first word Charlotte weaves into her web?
White, the spider, named Charlotte, weaves webs that are very special. Her webs include words! The first words Charlotte weaves into her web are SOME PIG. Charlotte chooses these words because she is trying to save her friend Wilbur, a pig, from being slaughtered for food and encourage people ...
What did Wilbur try to look like in Charlotte's web?
As this quote from the story shows, Wilbur tries very hard to live up to his friend Charlotte's words: ''When Charlotte's web said SOME PIG, Wilbur had tried hard to look like some pig. When Charlotte's web said TERRIFIC, Wilbur had tried to look terrific.
Why does Wilbur change?
By the time Charlotte weaves the third word into her web, Wilbur has changed; due to better bedding and extra attention , Wilbur becomes more confident and stronger. He is no longer a weak, runt pig.
Why did Wilbur win the Charlotte's Web prize?
Wilbur wins a prize because he attracted many tourists to the state and many visitors to the fair. In this way, he learns that there are many ways to be special. Let's review! In the book, Charlotte's Web, author E.B. White uses the words in Charlotte's webs to show that Wilbur is special.
What does the second web mean in the book?
The second web woven by Charlotte says TERRIFIC, which means extremely good or wonderful.
Is Wilbur a good friend?
Even though people come from all around to see Wilbur and think he is special, he does not let their attention change his personality. He is still a good friend to Charlotte and the other animals in the barn. At the county fair, the big pig in the pen next to Wilbur wins the blue ribbon.
Why does Charlotte want to take her egg sac back to the farm?
Charlotte tries to envision how her egg sac can be taken back to the farm safely, so that she may die with peace of mind, knowing her children will be born at her home.
What is the main character critical flaw?
Main Character Critical Flaw#N#As an example of how “obligation” undermines Wilbur’s efforts, for Wilbur to fatten up into SOME PIG, he must eat every scrap in his trough, however, since Templeton was instrumental in saving Charlotte from Avery’s stick, he feels he must share his food with the rat.
What is the story of Wilbur?
Overall Story Throughline Synopsis. Wilbur is born onto a farm where, as a matter of course, runts are immediately put to death and pigs that grow up are slaughtered for winter feasts. Wilbur is able to escape this fate with the help of Fern, the farmer’s daughter, and later Charlotte, an extraordinary spider.
What is the main character's resolve?
Main Character Resolve. Instead of acting frenzied (as usual) when faced with a crisis, as Charlotte’s health declines, Wilbur takes charge and carries out her last wishes: Wilbur was in a panic. He raced round and round the pen.
What is Wilbur's throughline?
Main Character Throughline#N#Taking part in the effort to stay alive, Wilbur engages in activities that bear out the messages Charlotte weaves in her web, such as doing back flips with a half twist:#N#Ever since the spider had befriended him, he had done his best to live up to his reputation. When Charlotte’s web said SOME PIG, Wilbur had tried hard to look like some pig. When Charlotte’s web said TERRIFIC, Wilbur had tried to look terrific. And now that the web said RADIANT, he did everything possible to make himself glow. (White, 1952, p. 114)
Why does the old sheep point out to Templeton why he should be concerned about Wilbur?
The old sheep points out to Templeton why he should be concerned about Wilbur, and consequently his own future: “Wilbur’s leftover food is your chief source of supply, Templeton. You know that. Wilbur’s food is your food; therefore Wilbur’s destiny and your destiny are closely linked.
What is Wilbur's main concern?
Main Character Issue. Throughout the story, Wilbur’s first concern is for his comfort and safety ; when he realizes that Charlotte and her egg sac cannot make the journey back to the farm, he stops thinking of himself and makes arrangements to take the egg sac.
Who never forgot Charlotte?
Specifically, it was the last two lines of the story that the narrator said (that White penned), which really cut to the core of me: “Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself.
Who used to say "Greetings and salutations"?
This expression was popularized by the hit movie “Heathers” starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. In “Heathers”, Jason Dean ,the character played by Christian Slater, often uses this sentence.
What is Charlotte's web?
Charlotte ’s web is “a thing of beauty,” and each strand shines with beads of water. When Lurvy comes out to the barn with Wilbur ’s breakfast he stops short at the sight of it—not just because it is beautiful, but because two words have been woven into the web. At its center, in capital letters, Charlotte has written out: “SOME PIG!”.
What does Homer say about the spider?
Homer declares that a “miracle has happened on [the] farm,” and when he tells Edith about the web, she suggests they go take a look at the spider. Edith and Homer go down to the barn and look at Charlotte, who sits completely still as she feels them observing her.
What is clear to Homer and Edith?
Active Themes. As they all head back up to the house, Homer tells Edith and Lurvy that he’s “thought all along” that Wilbur is an “extra good” pig.
What does Fern feel when she sits in church listening?
As Fern sits in church listening, she feels happy and relieved — Charlotte ’s plan is working. At the same time, she feels wistful, and misses when the Zuckermans’ barn was ordinary and empty, and she could be “alone with her friends the animals.”.
What chapter is Charlotte's Web?
Charlotte’s Web: Chapter 21. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Charlotte’s Web, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. After returning Wilbur to his pen, everyone goes off to find Fern, and Charlotte and Wilbur are left alone. Wilbur is happy and proud of the medal around his neck, but Charlotte is silent.
What does Wilbur say about Charlotte?
Wilbur begins talking about how wonderful it will be for them to all return home to the farm together, but Charlotte announces that she will not be going back to the barn —in just a day or two, she’ll be dead. She doesn’t even have enough strength, she says, to climb down into the crate.
What does Wilbur do when Charlotte can't bring her egg sac back to the barn?
Wilbur is struck by an idea—if Charlotte can’t bring her egg sac back to the barn, he will do it for her. He calls for Templeton and informs the rat of the situation. Charlotte is very sick, he says, and needs for Templeton to fetch her egg sac from the rafters of the shed.
What happens after Wilbur returns to his pen?
After returning Wilbur to his pen, everyone goes off to find Fern, and Charlotte and Wilbur are left alone. Wilbur is happy and proud of the medal around his neck, but Charlotte is silent. When Wilbur asks her why she’s being so quiet, she tells him that she feels tired—but peaceful, and grateful for Wilbur’s success (which she sees, in part, ...
What does Wilbur throw himself on the ground?
Wilbur throws himself onto the ground in a fit of “pain and sorrow,” and he sobs over the loss of his only “true friend.”. Charlotte, though, insists Wilbur stop making such a scene. Wilbur is as dramatic as always as Charlotte at last tells him that she’s dying.
Why does Wilbur sacrifice himself?
In order to secure help in completing it , Wilbur must make a sacrifice himself—something he gladly does knowing that just as Charlotte sacrificed her own time, energy, and happiness to ensure that his life would go on, he must now sacrifice those things to ensure that her lineage is protected as well. Active Themes.
What does Wilbur mean by "lifted up her life a trifle"?
In helping Wilbur, she has “lift [ed] up her life a trifle.”. This passage shows that friendship is a sacred thing, and a true act of love. Even though Wilbur doesn’t see how he’s helped Charlotte, her life has been enriched by his presence—and her sacrifices on his behalf have helped to make her own life fuller.
What does Charlotte announce in the barn?
Charlotte Makes an Announcement. Meanwhile, back at the barn, Charlotte announces that she is going to the fair, too, just in case Wilbur needs her. She also suggests that Templeton come with her. ''Somebody's got to go along who knows how to write.
Why do Templeton and Charlotte decide to get into the crate?
Charlotte and Templeton decide they need to get into the crate before Wilbur does so that they have a chance to hide. Templeton goes in first and hides under the straw, while Charlotte makes a dragline that transports her into the crate, after which she hides in a knothole.
Why is Wilbur's chapter important?
This chapter is important because it's the point in the story where the human characters are more concerned with their looks instead of work.
What does Fern dream about in Charlotte's Web?
White, everyone goes to bed early the night before the fair, including the animals, dreaming of what they hope to experience. Fern dreams about being on the swings, while her brother Avery dreams of being on a Ferris wheel. Mrs.
What chapter does Wilbur go to bed?
In Chapter 16 in Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, everyone goes to bed early the night before the fair, including the animals, dreaming of what they hope to experience. Charlotte and Templeton accompany Wilbur to the fair in his crate, with Charlotte hiding in a knothole and Templeton under the straw. Before Wilbur is loaded into the crate, one of ...
Overview
Charlotte's Web is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams; it was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. The novel tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur is in danger of being slaughtered by the farmer, Charlotte writes messages praising Wilbur (such as …
Plot summary
After a little girl named Fern Arable pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, her father gives her the pig to nurture, and she names him Wilbur. She treats him as a pet, but a month later, Wilbur is no longer small, and is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman. In Zuckerman's barnyard, Wilbur yearns for companionship, but is snubbed by the other animals. He is befriended by a barn spider named Charlotte, whose web sits in a doorway overlooking Wilbur's enclosure. When Wilb…
Characters
• Wilbur is a rambunctious pig, the runt of his litter. He is often strongly emotional.
• Charlotte A. Cavatica, or simply Charlotte, is a spider who befriends Wilbur. In some passages, she is the heroine of the story.
• John Arable: Wilbur's first owner.
Themes
Death is a major theme seen throughout Charlotte's Web and is brought forth by that of the spider, Charlotte. According to Norton D. Kinghorn, Charlotte's web acts as a barrier that separates two worlds. These worlds are that of life and death. Scholar Amy Ratelle says that through Charlotte's continual killing and eating of flies throughout the novel, White makes the concept of death normal for Wilbur and for the readers. Neither Wilbur nor the rat Templeton see death as a part of their li…
History
Charlotte's Web was published three years after White began writing it. White's editor Ursula Nordstrom said that one day in 1952, E. B. White arrived at her office and handed her a new manuscript, the only copy of Charlotte's Web then in existence, which she read soon after and enjoyed. Charlotte's Web was released on October 15, 1952.
Since White published Death of a Pig in 1948, an account of his own failure to save a sick pig (b…
Reception
Charlotte's Web was generally well-reviewed when it was released. In The New York Times, Eudora Welty wrote, "As a piece of work it is just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done." Aside from its paperback sales, Charlotte's Web is 78th on the all-time bestselling hardback book list. According to publicity for the 2006 film adaptation (see below), the book has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into 23 languages. It was a Newbery Honor book for 1…
Adaptations
The book was adapted into an animated feature of the same name in 1973 by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions with a score by the Sherman Brothers. In 2003, a direct-to-video sequel to that film, Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure, was released by Paramount Pictures.
In 2006, Paramount Pictures, with Walden Media, Kerner Entertainment Company, and Nickelode…
See also
• The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
• Death in children’s literature