1. How does White align the fictional personalities of the animals with their real-life behaviors?

2. The threat of death is a significant part of everyone's existence. Is it surprising to see this threat at the heart of such an endearing story?

3. When the message "some pig" appears in Charlotte's web, everyone except Mrs. Zuckerman is immediately impressed with Wilbur rather than Charlotte. What might White be suggesting about human nature?

4. What are your thoughts on the doctor's indifference towards Fern's apparent delusions about animals and spiders talking?

5. A fable is a straightforward tale where talking animals symbolize human traits, usually concluding with a clear moral or lesson. What moral or morals can be derived from Charlotte's Web?

6. One of White's motivations for writing this novel was his perception of the unfairness in raising an animal only to eventually slaughter it for food. How does this sense of barnyard injustice help you better understand the book?

7. Templeton the rat acts purely out of self-interest, yet he is arguably a hero of the story, second only to Charlotte. How does Templeton's role enhance the realism of the story?

8. Consider the words Charlotte chooses to weave into her web. What reasons does she give for selecting these words? Why are they especially fitting for Wilbur?

9. In the early drafts of Charlotte's Web, Fern and the other humans had much smaller parts. Initially, the book started with Wilbur already in Zuckerman's barn, and Fern didn't appear until several chapters later. Why did White choose to begin the book with Fern saving Wilbur from her father's ax? What is Fern's significance in the story?