Charlotte's Web Charlotte A. Cavatica Quotes

"The message I wrote in my web, praising Wilbur, has been received. The Zuckermans have fallen for it, and so has everybody else. Zuckerman thinks Wilbur is an unusual pig, and therefore he won't want to kill him and eat him. I dare say my trick will work and Wilbur's life can be saved." (12.20)

Wow, Charlotte is quite a wily little spider. Check out how she calls her writing in the web a "trick." This would mean writing is equivalent with trickery, which is a crazy intriguing idea. Does calling her message a "trick" make it sound like a good thing or a bad thing?

"O.K., Wilbur," said Charlotte. "You can go back to sleep. O.K., Templeton, the soap ad will do, I guess. I'm not sure Wilbur's action is exactly radiant, but it's interesting."

"Actually," said Wilbur, "I feel radiant." (13.50-1)

After Templeton brings Charlotte a soap ad with the word "radiant," Charlotte has to figure out if the word accurately describes her little piggy friend. But Wilbur doesn't need much convincing at all. It took him a little while to start feeling "terrific," but now he feels radiant almost immediately.

"Your success in the ring this morning was, to a small degree, my success." (21.5)

Charlotte didn't receive a lick of recognition for her work in earning Wilbur the county fair prize. But to her, their success is still something they share together. It's like she's living vicariously through Wilbur because he's her best bud.