Charlotte's Web

“Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of injustice. As a result, she now has a pig. A small one, to be sure, but nevertheless a pig.”

From the very first day that Wilbur meets Fern, his life becomes a matter of fighting injustice. It starts when he is saved by Fern, a young and steadfast girl who cannot stand the thought of him being slaughtered simply for being smaller than the other pigs. She sees potential in Wilbur, and she turns out to be right. Later in his life, Wilbur is warned that he will still likely be eaten eventually—quite possibly later the same year. Charlotte, too, fights for justice by saving Wilbur’s life through the words in her web.

“Go down through the orchard, root up the sod! Go down through the garden, dig up the radishes! Root up everything! Eat grass! Look for corn! Look for oats! Run all over! Skip and dance, jump and prance! Go down through the orchard and stroll in the woods! The world is a wonderful place when you’re young.”

One of the underlying morals of Charlotte’s Web is the importance of seizing the day and valuing the short life that people and animals are given. When Wilbur moves to the farm, he is put in a pen, and it is much different than the free and easy life he had before with Fern. One day, he decides to leave his pen, and the goose who lives on the farm encourages him to embrace his temporary freedom. He tells Wilbur to do all the things that pigs do best, and to enjoy them, because this moment is fleeting, just like their lives.