Key themes
- Friendship as something that saves — literally and figuratively
- Death as an inevitable part of the natural cycle — and what we leave behind
- The pig who deserves to live and the spider who decides he will
About this book
A pig, a clever spider and a barnyard friendship that beats death; the gentle classic about loyalty.
Published in 1952, Charlotte's Web has sold over 45 million copies and is consistently named one of the best children's novels of the 20th century. White reportedly wept throughout the writing of Charlotte's death.
Discussion questions
- Charlotte's plan to save Wilbur requires her to describe him in words — to make him known. What is White saying about the relationship between language, visibility and survival?
- The novel deals honestly with death — Charlotte dies at the end. How does White prepare young readers for this — and what does he want them to take from it?
- Wilbur is described as 'some pig' — extraordinary, when he is in fact quite ordinary. What is White saying about the gap between the story we tell about a life and the life itself?
- The friendship between a spider and a pig crosses species and makes no practical sense. What does White achieve through this specific pairing — and what does it say about where friendship finds its way?
- Charlotte's Web is one of the most beloved children's novels in English. What does it offer at different ages — and what is it actually about when you read it as an adult?
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