Charlotte in the 1973 animated film
Charlotte A. Cavatica is a spider and the titular deuteragonist of E.B. White's book Charlotte's Web and both of its film adaptions. Although she is not the main character, she is a true hero, as she is giving her life to save a pig named Wilbur (the actual protagonist). Before she dies, she lays an egg sac that hatched into 514 babies, but only 3 remain.
She was voiced by the late Debbie Reynolds in the 1973 animated film and Julia Roberts in the 2006 live action film.
Biography
Charlottes role through the each adaptation is pretty much the same with very minor differences.
Wilbur is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman, in whose barnyard he is left yearning for companionship but is snubbed by other barn animals. Charlotte who had been watching the lonely pig from her on a web overlooking Wilbur's enclosure, reveals herself to the pig, and the two become the most unusual (if not unlikely) type of friends. Upon hearing of his fate of being slaughtered, Wilbur panics until Charlotte calms him promising that she'll do whatever it takes to save Wilbur's life. She writes the inscription "some pig" which brings a crowd of people to take photos of Wilbur. But as soon as the crowd subsides, the Zuckermans still consider on slaughtering Wilbur.
Charlotte calls out a meeting to suggest the perfect word for Wilbur to make him sound special. Charlotte orders Templeton the rat to go to the dump and bring a magazine clipping with a very special word. Templeton selfishly refuses until the animals point out that if Wilbur is slaughtered, then that would also mean that the pig's trough, which is also Templeton's primary source of food, remains empty, and therefore, the rat would die of starvation. Templeton reluctantly obeys. He brings Charlotte a piece of paper with words. Charlotte decides upon a word that describes Wilbur and sets to work in the night.
The next day, the human community is again abuzz as the word ’TERRIFIC’ is clearly spelled out in the web. Wilbur and Fern again share in the limelight of this new ‘miracle’. But like the last time, interest faded with the web.
Summer turns to autumn and Charlotte and Wilbur are desperate. The humans have shown no sign of changing Wilbur’s fate come winter. Charlotte then spins the word ‘radiant’ in her web and the community is alive again. Basking in the glory of this latest ‘miracle’, farmer Homer decides to enter Wilbur in the upcoming county fair. Charlotte initially refused to accompany Wilbur, as she is expecting but changes her mind in the end. Templeton goes along for the ‘treats’ to be found in the fair.
At the fair, Wilbur is pitted against Uncle, a huge specimen of the piggy folk. Charlotte turns to Templeton for one last word and he delivers. Charlotte, heavy with babies, spins her web one last time which reads "humble". And WTherefore, Wilbur is entered in the county fair, accompanied by Charlotte and the rat Templeton, whom she employs in gathering inspiration for her messages. Charlotte spins an egg sac containing her unborn offspring, and Wilbur, despite winning no prizes, is later celebrated by the fair's staff and visitors (thus made too prestigious alive to justify killing him).
Charlotte tells Wilbur that she cannot come home with him because she is dying. Wilbur begs the weak Charlotte to come for everything she's done to him. Charlotte replies "I can't, I'm too weak to climb down. Besides, my webs were no miracle. I was only describing what I saw. The miracle...is you." Wilbur noticing the truck arriving quickly manages to convince a raging Templeton to retrieve her egg sack. Wilbur picks it up as The Zuckerman's begin to load him back in the crate; Wilbur sadly peaks out of the crate with the dying Charlotte still in the sty. Charlotte wishes Wilbur goodbye as she watches the pig being driven out of the fair, before she finally closes her eyes as she dies.
Gallery
