What’s Up With the Title?

Charlotte's Web refers, well, to Charlotte's web. Yep, in the novel Charlotte weaves lots of webs and they have a huge impact on the storyline. In fact, Charlotte's webs have a way of saving lives, since they convince the Zuckermans to let Wilbur live. So yeah, these webs are game-changers.

All in all, Charlotte spins four webs filled with four different phrases:

(1) "SOME PIG!"
(2) "TERRIFIC"
(3) "RADIANT"
(4) "HUMBLE"

Webs with words like this are no ordinary sight to see. But eventually every single character in the novel sees Charlotte's webs at one point or another. Talk about publicity. (We chat more about what these webs might mean in "Symbols" so weave your way on over there, and then come back.)

All this talk of webs has us wondering: why does the title only refer to one "web"? Do you think one particular web is more important than the others? Or—here's an idea—is the "web" maybe the plot that Charlotte creates to save Wilbur's life?