Traditional Literature

Charlotte's Web is a book written by E.B. White. This traditional literature book is for students that are coming of age. This is a great book to read to students that are older, such as 5th grade as most middle schools start with 6th grade. This is a good transition book for students that are having doubts and are having a hard time believing in themselves. 

This traditional literature piece is specifically a fable. This short story is portrayed to provide morals or have a life lesson. Most writers like to take a social situation and lighten it to draw upon a universal lesson through the story. In this particular traditional literature piece, White is trying to tell us how self involved we are as human and how blind we are to all the wonders of the world around us. 

Although this book is for older reader, it has an abundance of meaning and inferences that the students can draw upon during this story. The story of Charlotte's Web starts with a piglet named Wilbur. He struggles in the beginning because he just moved barns however, he meets some new friends that help him. Charlotte is a lady grey spider who is anything but evil. She takes over the mother role in the story. There is also, Templeton the rat, goose, lamb. All of these characters effect Wilbur in some way, being negative or positive. 

Wilbur is afraid of dying. The lamb tells him that the farmer is trying to fatten him up for Christmas dinner. Wilbur becomes very nervous because he loves life on the farm, but Charlotte is there to ensure Wilbur that he will not die and she is planning to save him. They go to the fair and Charlotte spins words in her to make him famous. When she is doing so, she creates her egg sac. This is not good because this means she has fulfilled her life duty. She created 3 babies for Wilbur to take care of. Wilbur lives, Charlotte passes away. She knew that she could help Wilbur, with her unconditional love and support to get him to not worry about dying is a selfless act to follow. 

One important thing to take away from all of this is a quote from Charlotte herself, "People believe almost anything they see in print." Mr. Zuckerman thought this, when he came to the realization that their pig was surely extraordinary. This all follows the idea of propaganda, White portrayed Charlotte as the older and wiser character in the plot because she knew exactly what to do the whole time. 

I would incorporate this book into my classroom by reading it for enjoyment at the end of the year. Just to ease the nerves and answer any questions they would have about moving building and making that transition. I would love to see my students come up with their own interpretations of the book that they can relate to personally. I find this book to be good for life lessons and an excellent example of young adult literature for students to enjoy.