After, having his life saved by Fern Wilbur gets used to his new home in a pig pen where he meet’s Charlotte. Charlotte represents the maternal instinct in this novel taking over after Ferns presence starts to subside. This is a strange idea to the reader as “not only are spiders often frightening entities for children, they are the antithesis of the warm, cuddly mother figure.”( Johnson 157) Although, this is true White uses Charlotte to represent that maternal instinct in a different light. Unlike Fern Charlotte cannot touch Wilbur here maternal instincts are still present and she “accomplishes her mothering solely through language. She advises, scolds, compliments, sings lullabies, tells stories, and finally weaves words into her web” ( Rollin 44) …show more content…
After, being rejected by multiple animals Charlotte looks to cheer Wilbur up by making him feel better by writing words in her web that would build his confidence, such as extraordinary, excellent. This is a great example of Charlotte’s maternal instinct kicking in. The want to make someone she cares about to feel better and take care of him shows the human maternal instinct. Although, exhausted Charlotte continues throughout the novel to help Wilbur win in the fair, and protect him from others. Charlotte's character shows children the importance of taking care of others even when they are not feeling up to it. Charlotte is one of the most prominent characters in the novel when it comes to literacy. She is the one who teaches the reader about writing through her web weaving and reading as she looks for words to write in her web. Charlotte shows examples of literacy in scenes like the fair when Templeton brings her a paper that says humble but he does not know what it means so she explains “'Humble that has two meanings. It means 'not proud' and it means 'near the ground.' That's Wilbur all
Grice uses many different modes throughout the essay to explain his underlying message about evil in the world to readers clearly. In the essay Grice uses description to better explain the black widow spider’s web. Leaves are dispersed in a black widow's web, beneath the leaves there are “husks of consumed insects, their antennae stiff as gargoyle horns” (para. 2). Around them are “splashes of the spider’s white urine, which looks like bird guano and smells of ammonia even at the distance of several feet” (para. 2). Grice's description on the black widow's web uses words that today are considered disgusting like urine and gargoyles which portrays a sense of what the web looks like along
Honesty on the Line Honesty is a value that is imperative to the trust and honor of a person. When the main character in “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, is faced with a decision that may cause her to break the trust she has with her mother, she is torn as to what she should do. The main character is Ashleigh, a middle school age girl, whose parents are divorced. Within the last couple months previous to the story, Ashleigh had decided she liked her dreamer of a father more than her practical, prepared mother.
In the small, desolate town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, Ethan Frome lives a life of poverty. Not only does he live hopelessly, but “he was a prisoner for life” to the economy (Ammons 2). A young engineer from outside of town narrates the beginning of the story. He develops a curiosity towards Ethan Frome and the smash-up that he hears about in bits and pieces. Later, due to a terrible winter storm that caused the snow itself to seem like “a part of the thickening darkness, to be the winter night itself descending on us layer by layer” (Wharton 20), the narrator is forced to stay the night at Frome’s. As he enters the unfamiliar house, the story flashes back twenty-four years to Ethan Frome’s young life. Living out his life with Zenobia Frome, his hypochondriac of a wife whom he does not love, Ethan has nowhere to turn for a glance at happiness. But when Zenobia’s, or Zeena’s, young cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to care for her, Ethan falls in love with the young aid. Mattie is Ethan’s sole light in life and “she is in contrast to everything in Starkfield; her feelings bubble near the surface” (Bernard 2). All through the novella, the two young lovers hide their feelings towards each other. When they finally let out their true emotions to each other in the end, the consequence is an unforeseen one. Throughout Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton portrays a twisted fairy tale similar to the story of Snow White with the traditional characters, but without a happy ending to show that in a bleak and stark reality, the beautiful and enchanting maiden could become the witch.
(p 75). With this quote, the reader can figuratively sit in the place of Charlotte and feel her teenage years with the little support from her “civilized [and] clean, [but] disciplined...mother”
Introduced by Steinbeck with a discussion of monstrosity in humans, Cathy walked through life with the vestments of a human but the soul of a devil. Though Cathy maintained a façade of innocence to ward off suspicion, the darkness of her soul was revealed in her few moments of weakness throughout the novel. From the time she was a child, Cathy had “face of innocence” and beauty that attracted children and adults alike (73). Behind her wide eyes, however, something darker lurked. As described by Steinbeck, “…she had some quality that made people look…back at her, troubled at something foreign. Something looked out of her eyes, and was never there when one looked again” (73). Cathy was skilled at using her natural beauty and poise to manipulate others, always maintaining her impeccable appearance. The events of her childhood, however, revealed her to be a creature much darker than her attractiveness would suggest. Her parents died in a mysterious fire, and the lives of the men she manipulated were without exception destroyed. When she finally arrived on the doorstep of Charles and Adam Trask’s farmhouse, her deception continued; she entranced Adam and the two eloped within months. Adam fell head-over-heels for his golden bride. He and many others saw nothing but goodness and virtue in her hazel eyes. Samuel Hamilton, however, saw something more. As he described after his chilling first
Rice pudding, Gross! Who likes that. Haaa anyway. In the short story, Ashes, by Susan Beth Pfeffer. In Ashes, the Main character is deciding if she wants to take the money that her mom keeps in a teapot for emergencies. Ashleigh did not take the money from her mom because her mom is a role model, her dad breaks promises, and Ashleigh knows that her mom was saving the money for an emergency.
In contrast to Lucy Temple, Charlotte’s mother, La Rue was cunning, selfish, and manipulative. As Charlotte spent time with La Rue going to meet Montraville and Belcour, she constantly questions whether she should be accompanying her friend or not. Initially, she will conclude that it is a bad idea, but eventually comes along anyway. Sometimes, La Rue played a hand in persuading Charlotte to come, but others Charlotte would plan that the visit would be her last, but continue anyway. A turning point in the beginning of the novel occurs when La Rue convinces Charlotte to read Montraville’s letter. At first, Charlotte is hesitant, stating that her mother told her to let her read through letters from men before reading it herself. La Rue quickly dismisses this by exaggerating the absurdity of Charlotte’s notion. Once she read the letter, “Charlotte had taken one step in the ways of imprudence; and when that is once done, there are always innumerable obstacles to prevent the erring person returning to the path of rectitude” (Rowson 29). In making this decision, Charlotte already knew that she should not read the letter. This event serves as the beginning to Charlotte’s
Charlotte being a weak character in the story could be due to the fact that she was easily influenced and manipulated. For instance, she ran away to America after eloping with Montraville, though she knew that is not a right thing to do. While on the other hand, Mademoiselle La Rue portrayed the traits of strong woman when she was daring enough to run away with Belcour while influencing Charlotte to do the same. Including Julia, who was not only Bentley/Vora 3 rich and beautiful, but also generous when she decided to support Montraville knowing the fact that he did wrong deeds knowingly or unknowingly.
Instead of Fern stepping up in defense, this time Charlotte is the one who takes action. Charlotte understands that if the Zuckerman’s are told that Wilbur has value, they will believe it and start to see it for themselves. She sees the power that perception holds, changing our very beliefs, and used this to change the humans perception and save Wilbur. After she begins writing in her web, the humans even try and convince themselves that they knew how special he was the whole time. Mr. Zuckerman shows this. “You know,” he said, in an important voice, “I’ve thought all along that that pig of ours was an extra good one.” (White 81) He begins to see this pig, the one he only bought because he was so inexpensive, differently. The pig is the same one that has always been there, the same one that they only cared about when something might interfere with him getting plump. “I think theres something wrong with that pig of yours. He hasn't touched his food. “Give him two tablespoons of sulphur and a little molasses,” said Mrs. Zuckerman.” (White 30-31) That didn't care why he was upset and sick, only that he wasn't eating. The difference now is in how they see him, or their perception, by providing them with the descriptions, “some pig terrific, radiant and finally humble” it shines a light on his ordinary self and it changes it to
From her early childhood, Cathy commits crimes unimaginable to any stable individual. She cannot distinguish right from wrong and finds pleasure in cruelty. Steinbeck uses Cathy to display what an innately evil woman truly looks like. He introduces her by explaining how one may be “born without kindness” or “the potential of conscious,” just as one might be born without an arm (95). Cathy Ames happens to be brought into the world with the traits and qualities which drive her to sin all her life. From birth, she differs from others, and uses her differences to shake up the world around her. She comes into the world lacking the capabilities to ever be considered a “normal” woman. Her upbringings did not bring her to this because her parents support her and always want the best for her. Cathy, given everything she wants, possesses no reason to act deceptively; she cannot change. She often resembles an animal, hurting Sam Hamilton the “way a terrier” attacks a sack (253). Cathy even admits she “would rather be a dog” than a human (321). Over time, as her craving for power and domination increases, she becomes more monstrous and almost inhuman.
Charlotte weaves the words 'TERRIFIC' and 'RADIANT' as well; the words make Wilbur seem.... ... middle of paper ... ... Heaven knows anyone's life can. stand a little of that.
Among the characters is Wilbur and Charlotte. Wilbur had Character vs. Self conflict concerning friendship as she thinks of Charlotte, “I’ve got a new friend, all right! But what a gamble friendship is! Charlotte is fierce, brutal, scheming, and bloodthirsty-everything I don’t like. How can I learn to like her, even though she is beautiful and, of course, smart?” Such thoughts of Wilbur indicate that he had fears and doubt on whether to accept Charlotte as her friend (White 41). But Wilbur is helpless and needs friend to rely to save his life so to solve his problem, he tries to be like Charlotte so as to solve his conflict. Such an attempt is comprehensible to readers that Wilbur imitates Charlotte’s spinning of a web, so as to relate to a friend’s ability. Such mimicking is supposed to alleviate the lack of confidence friendship. As their story continue, Wilbur discover that his impression with Charlotte is wrong. Underneath Charlotte’s cruel exterior, she has kind heart and a loyal and true friend to the very
When her parents learned that Eunice was neglected by her foster mother, she returned home and attended many schools for different amounts of time.... ... middle of paper ... ... Literacy is apparent in many aspects of life because one learns many things while being literate.
As we ponder over our reading experiences as children, almost every American will remember reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. How we read as children and how we read as adults is not at all the same. One might state children read for the pleasure of the story and adults simply read too much into the given text. However, one must realize the images being portrayed to our children. How could a story about a pig and a spider relay unwanted messages to our children? It is important to remark how social guidelines are presented in this text. The most obvious is the assignment of gender roles to the characters Not only does this affect the human characters in the story, but it also affects the farm life. The other social guideline found in this text is the barnyard society. This society can in turn represent our human society. These two guidelines of society are taught unknowingly to our children through this story. What is perhaps the most surprising is how little attitudes have changed. This book was originally published in 1952 and these stereotypes still exist in our society forty five years later.
In Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur is thrown into an entirely new situation, away from Fern, and is forced to adapt and make other friends. In Wilbur’s first interaction with Charlotte, he thinks to himself, “But what a gamble friendship is! [...] Wilbur was merely suffering the doubts and fears that often go with finding a new friend” (p. 41). Once more, it appears that White uses the talking animals to mask a broader focus on life itself. Wilbur overcomes various trials in the course of the book, such as finding himself in an unfamiliar situation, and later ultimately facing Charlotte’s untimely death. The ability to adapt is a necessary life skill, and moreover, dealing with the finality of death cannot be avoided and to pretend that it does not exist does children a great disservice. White introduces controversial topics in a book that is geared toward children, though it should remain a classroom because of those controversial elements. Literature in itself is designed to leave an impression on its readers and White leaves a lasting impression on his young readers as they develop an understanding of unfamiliar situations, and later, death