Tabla de Contenidos
The story La telaraña de Carlota (or Charlotte’s web in Latin America), is one of the most important works of children’s literature in the United States. It is a captivating story that tells of the strange friendship between a pig named Wilbur and Charlotte the spider, as well as their adventures on the farm where they live.
About the Author
Elwyn Brooks “EB” White was an American writer, prose writer, and essayist who was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on July 11, 1899. He studied art at Cornell University, graduating in 1921.
During his youth he carried out different jobs: he was an ice delivery man, a publicist, a columnist and a war correspondent. He also worked at the Seattle Times newspaper and at The New Yorker and Harper’s magazines and was the author of several essays. One of his first narratives was a science fiction tale called La supremacía del Uruguay (1933).
When he became an uncle, Brooks began writing children’s stories. Among his children’s works, the following stand out: Stuart Little (1945), Carlota’s Web (1952) and The Swan’s Trumpet (1970).
EB White was also notable for editing the classic writer’s manual of style The Elements of Style , which is used today by American students and writers.
For his works he received different prizes and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Gold Medal of the National Institute of Arts and Letters of the United States.
EB White’s style was described as that of the typical American: cultured, intricate, and thoughtful.
White passed away in 1985 in North Brooklyn, Maine, United States. He is currently considered one of the great teachers of the English language and a benchmark of American literature.
About the story Carlota’s web
Charlotte’s Web , whose original English title is Charlotte’s Web , is one of EB White’s most popular short stories. In Latin America and Spain it can also be found titled La telaraña de Charlotte .
This tale tells the moving story of Wilbur the pig and Carlota the spider. Both establish a friendship inside the stable where they live and experience different situations.
Charlotte’s Web received the Massachusetts Children’s Story Award in 1984, the Newbery Award in 1953, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 1970, and other awards. In addition, it is one of the best-selling books in the history of the United States.
the characters of the story
As the story takes place between farms and stables, the characters are characteristic people and animals in these environments. Characters in the story include:
- Wilbur: is the pig and protagonist of the story.
- Carlota: is Wilbur’s spider friend.
- Fern: is the girl who raises Wilbur.
- Avery: He is Fern’s brother.
- Mr. and Mrs. Arable: They are the parents of Fern and Avery.
- Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman: They are Fern and Avery’s uncles.
- Lurvy: he is a farm worker.
- The goose: it is one of the animals that live in the stable.
- Templeton: It’s the rat.
- Other farm animals: lambs, sheep, cows, geese, cocker spaniels .
Brief summary of Carlota’s web
The story begins when the owner of the farm is about to kill a little pig. His daughter, an 8-year-old girl named Fern Arable, decides to stop the slaughter and thus begins raising the pig, whom she decides to name Wilbur.
Fern takes care of Wilbur every day with lots of love. However, because Mr. Arable fears that his daughter will become too attached to an animal that will be slaughtered, he sends Wilbur to the farm of Mr. Zuckerman, Fern’s uncle.
Wilbur continues to grow in his new home. However, he has no friends there and misses Fern. One fine day the spider Carlota appears, who becomes his friend.
Soon, Wilbur finds out that he is going to be put down. Then, his friend Carlota decides to save him by weaving the words “a pig” into his web. Mr. Zuckerman sees them and believes that a miracle has occurred. With the help of Templeton the rat they manage to write other messages. In this way, Wilbur manages to survive that day.
He is later taken to the country fair, where Carlota and Templeton are still writing words. Wilbur becomes increasingly popular and escapes certain death.
However, at the end of the fair the one who is about to die is Carlota. She entrusts Wilbur with her eggs and says goodbye to him. Wilbur takes care of them and several of Carlota’s children are born to them. Three of them stay with him and they all live happily ever after.
Fun facts
- In addition to being an emotional story, there are other interesting facts about Carlota’s Web :
- Although it is a story EB White wrote for children, since its publication it has also captured the attention of adults.
- The story has an animated adaptation by Paramount Pictures in 1973.
- In the year 2000, Publishers Weekly magazine included Charlotte’s Web on the list of best-selling children’s books of all time.
- In 2003, Paramount made a sequel to the film, a made-for-video version called Charlotte’s Web 2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure . Later, Universal Studios released it internationally.
- In 2006 the story was adapted to the big screen again, this time as live action ( live-action in English, also called real image). That same year, a video game of this adaptation was released.
Bibliography
- White, EB Charlotte’s web. (2005). Spain. HarperCollins.
- Charlotte’s Web: Plot Overview. sparknotes. Available at https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/charlottes-web/summary/ .
