I am honestly not sure how we Gen X’ers are not all in therapy all the time. As I was thinking about what to write for this article, I decided ‘How about a children’s book or a movie I loved as a kid?’ So I started down the rabbit hole…
- Watership Down – The book AND the cartoon adaptation! Brutal, traumatic, painful, distressing, scarring, shocking… all the bad synonyms
- Bambi – his mother. Need I say more?
- Old Yeller – I have only watched the ending where Old Yeller has to be put down once!
- Where the Red Fern Grows – I… I just can’t…
- The Giving Tree – I am still mad at that selfish little boy!
- PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON!!!! – From my childhood perspective, Puff died after Little Jackie Paper abandoned him by growing up. Traumatizing enough. Now I realize that Puff slipped away into his cave, never to play again. So, Puff has been by himself this whole time, alone and heartbroken?
- Flowers in the Attic – I was much too young to have read this book. But one of the girls at school swiped her big sister’s copy, and we all passed it around. None of us understood everything we were reading, but we understood enough.
- Lord of the Flies – It is unnerving to be reading this in class, then look around at your fellow students. How far would your friends be willing to go to survive? How far would I be willing to go?
- A Rose for Emily – a short story by William Faulkner. Eerie vibes!
- Any kind of fairy tale – My childhood fairy tale books did not have the clean versions we see more of today. My little mermaid did not end up with Prince Eric, sailing off into the sunset while the mermaids sang joyous tunes. My little mermaid suffered excruciating pain with each stop she took, but still danced because the prince wanted her to. Then he picked somebody else to marry! She ended up as seafoam after throwing herself into the ocean. There definitely was no peppy reggae version of ‘Under the Sea’ anywhere in my version!
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Who remembers crying in the theater when we thought E.T. wasn’t going to make it? Then, when he and Elliot had to say good-bye? I bawled.
- The Land Before Time – Littlefoot’s mom? Reminds you of Bambi’s mom, doesn’t it?
- Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – Gene Wilder’s version scared me. His wide-eyed stare creeped me out, plus he was not nice! And I was low-key terrified of the Oompa Loompas.
- All Dogs Go To Heaven – Just this whole movie! “You know, goodbyes aren’t forever.” “Then, goodbye, Charlie. I love you.”
There are so many more examples! (Also, did anybody notice my joke? Down the rabbit hole, then Watership Down? No? Well, I thought it was funny. Unlike the book or cartoon!)
Anyway, the book I decided to review today certainly fits into my ‘Things that traumatized me as a child’ list. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White was first published in 1952, then made into a cartoon in 1973. Both were staples of my childhood that I re-read and re-watched numerous times.
Note: I have not watched the live-action adaptation from 2006, but I assume it is very similar. I do heartily approve of casting Dakota Fanning as Fern and Steve Buscemi as Templeton! Spot on!
You know a book is going to be hard when the first line starts “Where’s papa going with that axe?’ The second page of the hardcover literally had a drawing of Fern trying to wrestle that axe out of her father’s hands so he wouldn’t kill the runt pig born the night before! That drawing alone is therapy-worthy. Our scrappy heroine is able to rescue the piglet, who she names Wilbur. Wilbur and Fern are inseparable as youngsters. There are adorable drawings of Fern dressing Wilbur as a baby and pushing him in a stroller. The two grow closer when Fern realizes she can talk to animals! (I wanted that ability so bad as a kid!)
As is inevitable, Wilbur grows. No longer a runt, he is now a good-sized pig, requiring more food and space than Fern’s parents are willing to give. In their minds, the friendship between their daughter and her pet had an expiration date. Wilbur is a farm animal, and farm animals are raised to be food or to work on the farm.
Fern is convinced to sell Wilbur to her uncle, Homer Zuckerman. Wilbur is sent to the farm down the road and housed in a stall. Fern visits him often, and she soon becomes friends with the various other animals on the farm. Although Wilbur suffers from shyness and depression, their days are carefree and happy as long as Fern keeps coming. That is, until the ram in the next pen over makes them understand their predicament. Uncle Homer bought Wilbur so he could become the main attraction at Christmas dinner! After all, Wilbur is just a pig.
So enters our arachnid heroine, Charlotte, a beautiful gray spider who lives in the rafters above Wilbur’s pen. Despite his shyness, she and Wilbur become good friends, and she does everything she can to help him. Uncle Homer needs to be convinced that Wilbur is more than ‘just a pig’.
CAUTION – Some spoilers ahead!
I am not going to dive too deep into the plot of our story. I think it is better to experience it without too much prior knowledge. I will say, Charlotte and Wilbur’s friendship grows and eventually she is able to save him. She helps him with his confidence, and he is able to make friends with the other barnyard animals.
As I read the book the first time, I was terrified Wilbur would end up as sausage or bacon. Instead, I should have worried about Charlotte. Spiders do not have long lifespans, and Charlotte is no different. I cry every time I read the book, and I cry every time I watch the cartoon. Charlotte’s legacy however, lives on, and Wilbur is never truly alone again.
I did not realize what would happen to Charlotte, and I still get teary about her. The book, and to a lesser extent, the cartoon, both deal with death and its inevitability. Deep topics for a child of 6 or 7.
Despite the traumas of the story, Charlotte’s Web remains a favorite of mine today. Maybe it is because of the emotional toils – a lesser, lightweight tale wouldn’t have made such an impact on my memory.
So, I greatly recommend you take a traumatic stroll down memory lane with me. Maybe this time, Bambi’s mother will get away, or Charlotte will live for years, or Old Yeller will still be curled up on the rug in front of a roaring fire.
And we must save Puff the Magic Dragon! On to Honah Lee, everybody!
From Amazon: Don’t miss one of America’s top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS’s The Great American Read.
This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children’s literature that is “just about perfect.” This high-quality paperback features vibrant illustrations colorized by Rosemary Wells!
Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte’s Web, high up in Zuckerman’s barn. Charlotte’s spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur’s life when he was born the runt of his litter.
- B. White’s Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. This edition contains new color illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White’s Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, among many other books.
Whether enjoyed in the classroom or for homeschooling, or for independent reading, Charlotte’s Web is a proven favorite.
