What I am Learning from Charlotte's Web

 E.B White's Charlotte's Web is not a book that I have ever read when I was a kid, even though it's one of the most visible ones out there. I have nearly always found the cover of the book quite charming, but somehow I never got to read it, and I was even under the misunderstanding that Charlotte is the girl, when in fact she is the spider! Well, having to design a lesson plan for it for Grade 2, now I can see its charms.
   One of the interesting aspects of this book is that it's about a pig named Wilbur, who survives many attempts on his life. First is Fern's father, who wants to butcher him at the beginning of the book because he is a 'runt' who is not expected to be very useful for the farm, much less as a livestock. When Fern takes pity on him and wants to keep him, the father relents and allows Wilbur to be sold to a neighbor's farm for a low price. But throughout, we hear that there are plans for this pig to be killed at the end of the year. Charlotte, the spider, decides to figure out a way to save Wilbur. Even though in the beginning she has no idea how to do so, it's her persistence and ability to spin miraculous 'words' on webs that propels Wilbur to a kind of celebrity status. He is suddenly valued when Charlotte starts to put messages on her web that relate to him and put him in a positive light.
   I am not too sure at this point what this web symbolizes. Part of me thinks it's about art, and how we can spin stories to make life more bearable, and this is how we are able to survive life and death. Paradoxically, however, the 'web' is stationary, and unlike with the case of those people who walk up and down the bridge to make a living, the web has no place it needs to go. The web, in fact, could be said to be the essential mind itself. But my first guess is that the web represents our ability to value others by naming them. When I give someone a name, I am making that person relatable to other beings and showing the way for others to appreciate that person and receive them in a positive way. Names are so important, and there is even as sense that Charlotte's web could be about the interconnected webs that connect people and all beings.
   The magic of Charlotte's Web is that nothing terribly tragic happens in it. It's just about these animals getting together to solve the problems of life, in a spirit of good faith and good will. I can see why this book is a classic. I want to be able to teach contemplative themes through this book, and it seems to be a good springboard for children to create compassionate narratives and spin their own webs.