The unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider doesn’t seem like it would make a very interesting read, but it’s exactly the premise of one of the best children’s stories of all time.

Published on October 15, 1952, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web has continued to entertain kids (and adults) for generations. It’s a charming tale of a livestock pig named Wilbur, who is saved from slaughter and forms a friendship with a spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica.

It has since been adapted into a live-action film, cartoon, and even a video game, but many young readers first encounter it as a book.

Best Charlotte’s Web Quotes

Read on to find some of the best quotes from Charlotte’s Web that deal with the nature of loss, friendship, death, and innocence.

“Alone? My best friends are in the barn cellar. It is a very sociable place. Not at all lonely.”

Fern

Friends really are found in the most unlikely places, as Fern shows us as she describes her deep and emotional link with animals.

“I don’t understand it, and I don’t like what I don’t understand.”

Mrs. Arable

Not understanding something is definitely tough for us humans, as we are chronically curious creatures. The grand quest for knowledge is what’s driven us so far, as we attempt to learn the inner workings of the universe. This quote can also speak to our prejudices, as we, like Mrs. Arable, tend to dislike or judge what we don’t understand.

“Trust me, Wilbur. People are very gullible. They’ll believe anything they see in print.”

Charlotte

It’s no longer just print though, is it? The rise of the internet has made information more accessible, but it’s also made it easier to spread false information. So always verify your information folks! Not only twice, but thrice for good measure!

“‘Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend,’ replied Charlotte. ‘That in itself is a tremendous thing.“

Wilbur and Charlotte

Be good to a person and you’ll earn their friendship and loyalty. Like Wilbur, who’s found himself a true friend in Charlotte, who went above and beyond herself to save Wilbur’s life.

“After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.”

Charlotte

Err, getting kind of dark there Charlotte. But yeah, we do live only for a little while. So make it count. You might not change the world, but you can definitely change yourself and what’s around you for the better.

“I’ve got a new friend, all right. But what a gamble friendship is! Charlotte is fierce, brutal, scheming, bloodthirsty—everything I don’t like. How can I learn to like her, even though she is pretty and, of course, clever?”

Wilbur

Friends can come from different backgrounds and have varying personalities and interests. Just because they’re not the usual people you interact with doesn’t mean you can’t be friends. Look at Wilbur—he found a friend in the most unexpected creature: a barn spider.

“If I can fool a bug… I can surely fool a man. People are not as smart as bugs.”

Charlotte

Humanity’s an odd species. We’re quite smart, but kind of stupid at the same time. We’re able to solve complex equations and discover new things, but still regularly get stumped by simple things, even by a bug.

“What do you mean less than nothing? I don’t think there is any such thing as less than nothing. Nothing is absolutely the limit of nothingness. It’s the lowest you can go. It’s the end of the line. How can something be less than nothing? If there were something that was less than nothing, then nothing would not be nothing, it would be something – even though it’s just a very little bit of something. But if nothing is nothing, then nothing has nothing that is less than it is.”

Wilbur

Oh Wilbur, how you’ve grown! That’s a great point you have there. This is one of the moments in the book where you’ll find Wilbur has progressed from being naive to actively holding his own in an argument.

“Wilbur didn’t want food, he wanted love. He wanted a friend—someone who would play with him.”

Who doesn’t want love and friends? Wilbur may be a pig, but he conveys everything that we humans would definitely want in life.

“I think I’ll try again,” said Wilbur, cheerfully. “I believe what I need is a little piece of string to hold me.”

Wilbur

After failing to spin a web (because, of course, pigs can’t spin webs), Wilbur doesn’t seem fazed and “cheerfully” goes for round two. Let’s ignore the impossibility of Wilbur’s goal here and go beyond the context. If a pig can try again even after failing, so can you right?

“Wherever the wind takes us. High, low. Near, far. East, west. North, south. We take to the breeze, we go as we please.”

Charlotte’s Offsprings

Wilbur considers the barn his home, and here we have Charlotte’s kids ready to explore the world right from being hatched. Don’t get me wrong, Wilbur’s got a perfectly good home there, but sometimes exploration is the key to growing up and finding your own place in the world.

“It’s amazing how children change from year to year.”

Dr. Dorian

Kids grow up fast don’t they? I mean, I’ve been a kid, and I would have loved it if my childhood was longer. Whether you’re a kid or a parent reading this, make the time you have with your family count, because people do change. Don’t wait until the point of no return before finally cherishing the important moments.

“I think it is only fair to tell you that I was devoted to your mother. I owe my very life to her. She was brilliant, beautiful, and loyal to the end. I shall always treasure her memory. To you, her daughters, I pledge my friendship, forever and ever.”

Wilbur

This moment signifies a budding friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte’s kids. Though Wilbur has lost something important, new friends are there to help him continue on. Much like Charlotte was a mentor to Wilbur, now he has to be one to her kids.

Everybody who visited the pigpen had a good word to say about Wilbur. Everyone admired the web. And of course, nobody noticed Charlotte.

Charlotte tends to stick to the sidelines, and that’s okay. Fame’s just not for everybody. For Charlotte, knowing that her work has saved her friend is enough reward for all that hard work spinning webs.

“No one was with her when she died.“

Death is something we’ll all inevitably face. Though Charlotte died alone, it was a good death nonetheless. She lived a fulfilling life: saving a friend, giving birth to a new generation, and making a good change in the world. It’s something to strive for in our own lives.

What Is the Last Line of Charlotte’s Web?

“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.“

What’s particularly hard-hitting about these last two sentences is that it conveys not only the power of friendship, but also of words.

They are tools to hurt, heal, inspire, demotivate, and of course, save—which Charlotte did for WIlbur.

Who Was E.B. White?

E.B. White was an American writer who first started out as a contributor for the weekly magazine The New Yorker. Aside from his essays, White is most known for his children’s books, some of which are widely considered as some of the best children’s books ever written. In addition to Charlotte’s Web, he also wrote the equally popular Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan.

Reading Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web tackles a lot of serious topics that might seem unsuitable for children at first glance, but the language it was written in and the way the story was portrayed make it an excellent book that anyone can enjoy, no matter their age.

It’s a fun little book that you won’t get tired of reading and re-reading when tucking your kids to bed, or just want to read for yourself if you’re feeling nostalgic.

Did you like Charlotte’s Web as a kid? Share your memories in the comments below!

 

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