The suspense of Charlotte's Web is evident from the opening line, when Fern asks, "Where's Papa going with that ax?" As the reader soon discovers, he is going after Wilbur, and the main question becomes when—or whether— Wilbur will get the ax. Will the young girl Fern, spider Charlotte, or any of the other animals be able to save him? Justice, according to Fern, demands that a living creature be allowed a full life, even if it is just a runt pig. The practical farmer, however, sees the runt of the litter as a troublemaker and a source of food. Necessity dictates that the pig be slaughtered in the fall. Throughout the book, Wilbur's life hangs in a delicate balance.
Fern acts as a liaison between the human world and the animal world. She sits.....
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