I started reading Charlotte's Web to my kids this week. I hadn't read it since I was maybe 7 or 8 and it really is a beautiful story with some great prose and insight into life and death. This time I noticed how the first line immediately grabs you with the theme of the book: "Where's pa going with that axe?"
He's going to kill the pig, of course. A runt. On the first page the entire arc of the story is laid out. The girl, Fern, is horrified to learn about death, is awakened to the cruelty baked into the order of things, and she throws herself into it the middle of it in an act of kindness. All of that Charlotte will do throughout the book with the naive Wilbur. All there in miniature before you turn the first page.
Solid observations, a lot to think about here (and definitely making me want to revisit TDKR). Thanks for the recommendations!
Great breakdown Scott, always love hearing what you have to say!
I started reading Charlotte's Web to my kids this week. I hadn't read it since I was maybe 7 or 8 and it really is a beautiful story with some great prose and insight into life and death. This time I noticed how the first line immediately grabs you with the theme of the book: "Where's pa going with that axe?"
He's going to kill the pig, of course. A runt. On the first page the entire arc of the story is laid out. The girl, Fern, is horrified to learn about death, is awakened to the cruelty baked into the order of things, and she throws herself into it the middle of it in an act of kindness. All of that Charlotte will do throughout the book with the naive Wilbur. All there in miniature before you turn the first page.