A review by diana_raquel
Charlotte's Web: 70th Anniversary Edition by E.B. White

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

"We take to the breeze, we go as we please."

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I knew it was a children's book but if there's something that I know about children's classics is that the stories are always surprising. And this is no exception. At the surface, Charlotte's Web is a story of how a spider saves a pig, by writing words on its web. At its core, this is a story about the relationship between life and death (and accepting death as a part of life), love, loyalty, and friendship. However, the interesting thing is that it shows how roles can change from caregivers to friends, and how friends can come together and help you when you need them the most. 

I really liked this story. The characters are adorable and even if the themes can be a bit dark for a children's book, the way the story deals with the darker themes in a simple way, by using simple words and short chapters. 

 I have to address an issue linked to this book that I have seen around the internet:
it has to do with the idea that this book has some gender issues, in the idea that this book is about how a female spider does all the work and the male pig gets all the glory and then the spider dies happily at the end. And although I can sympathize with this idea - Wilbur is extremely passive during the whole narrative, doing everything in creation to something else or at someone else's urging. The animals, Charlotte and Fern are the ones who save Wilbur - I have to make a small nuance to this argument. Yes, this argument is valid, however, I read it as a social commentary to society in the sense that women do a lot of things that men get credit for (especially when it comes to domestic work and raising children). The relationship between Wilbur and Charlotte can also be seen as a mother/child or mentor/mentee relationship, and in that case, we do have not a gender issue but a story about a mother raising her child and saving him from death. Furthermore, I think that this book has a pro-women message: Fern and Charlotte save Wilbur, Mrs. Zuckerman says that it is Charlotte who is the remarkable creature, and all of the female animals in the barn nurture and teach. In turn, men, with the exception of the doctor, are described as being brutes (Templeton and Avery), bumblers (Lurvy), and simple-minded (Mr. Zuckerman and Mr. Arable).
 

Overall, I really liked this book and really recommend it!

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