User blog:NerdWithAKeyboard/PG Proposal: Charlotte A. Cavatica

Obligatory "already categorized, making it official" statement.

What's the Work?
Charlotte's Web is a 1952 novel by E.B. White, which was adapted into a 1973 animated film and a 2006 live-action film. It is the story of a barnyard of animals, centering around the young pig Wilbur.

This proposal will cover the book as well as both films, since both are pretty direct adaptations of the book with little change to Charlotte's character, only changing the order in which the events happened.

Who is Charlotte A. Cavatica? What Has She Done?
Charlotte is a grey spider that lives in Homer Zuckerman's barn, above the pigpen. The piglet Wilbur is brought there to live, though he misses his original owner and is lonely. Seeing the young pig's heartache, Charlotte offers to befriend him. Though Wilbur is at first put off by her diet of bugs, she does not take it personally and remains Wilbur's friend. She looks after him and accompanies him, as well as pleasantly interacts with the other barnyard animals, such as congratulating the goose and gander when their eggs hatched.

However, Wilbur learns that the Zuckermans are raising him for slaughter, intending to eat him for Christmas dinner. Wilbur is so afraid and mortified by this that Charlotte steps in and swears to him that she will save his life, no matter the cost. This encourages Wilbur to stay optimistic, and Charlotte acts as a parental figure towards Wilbur, teaching him lessons, telling him stories, standing up against bullies, and making sure he stays fit, clam, and healthy.

After a few days, Charlotte gets an idea. She weaves the words "SOME PIG" in her webbing, fooling the Zuckermans into believing that Wilbur is a miraculous and special pig. Wilbur becomes a sensation, and Charlotte always makes sure to stay out of the way so people will praise Wilbur and not her. She calls a meeting of the other animals to come up with new word ideas, and they settle on "TERRIFIC". Even when Wilbur questions this decision, Charlotte assures him that all her words describe him as she sees him.

After working through the night, Charlotte writes the new word. She (with a little help from a wise old sheep) convince the surly rat Templeton to help her come up with words, and ends up writing "RADIANT" in her web next. The Zuckermans are convinced Wilbur is special, and decide to take him to the county fair.

Charlotte, despite suffering from health problems due to her age, decides to go with Wilbur to the fair and help him in any way she can. She ends up writing "HUMBLE" above Wilbur's pen, and then gets to work laying eggs (514 to be exact). Even with her exhaustion and failing health, Charlotte still takes her time to comfort Wilbur and even stand up to Templeton when he begins to insult Wilbur. Wilbur ends up winning a special prize due to his fame.

However, Charlotte reaches the end of her lifespan, and does not have the strength to return home with Wilbur. As thanks for all she did for him, Wilbur takes her egg sac home to protect it and keep the children safe. Charlotte waves goodbye as they take Wilbur home, and passes away a few days later.

Wilbur cared for the eggs until they hatched, and 511 of the children set off on their own. Three stayed behind, and Wilbur told them the stories of their mother and how gentle and kind she was.

Admirable Standard
While none of the animals want Wilbur to die (either for personal or pragmatic reasons), Charlotte is the only character other than Wilbur's former owner Fern Arable that actively works to keep Wilbur safe. She dedicates her life to ensuring he does not die, and works until the very end to ensure that her goal of saving his life succeeds.

Mitigating Factors

 * Charlotte's main source of food is the blood of bugs like flies, which originally makes Wilbur uncomfortable. However:
 * The flies are not portrayed as sentient like the other animals in the story.
 * Charlotte notes that, while she is not the most happy about her diet, it is simply how she is made and what she must do to survive.
 * Charlotte says that she uses her venom to render her prey numb and unconscious so they don't feel any pain.
 * Charlotte explains the natural need for spiders to manage insect populations, lest insects grow to numerous and destroy crops and wildlife.
 * Charlotte can get cross with certain individuals, such as Templeton and a lamb when they bully Wilbur, and sometimes with the goose and gander. However, she merely scolds them, and does not resort to violence or even too harsh of words, usually settling on a quick word or two and maybe a glare.

Verdict
I vote yes, due to her dedication to saving a friend's life, her kindness and compassion, and her pacifism and humility.