The arc of the rope swing: humour, poetry, and spirituality in Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
This essay analyzes the classic American children's novel, Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, which tells of a sophisticated spider's rescue of a piglet who is being prepared for slaughter. The arc of the rope swing' refers to a rope swing enjoyed by children in the novel; it is al...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2016]
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| In: |
International journal of children's spirituality
Year: 2016, Volume: 21, Issue: 3/4, Pages: 201-215 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CB Christian life; spirituality CD Christianity and Culture KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history NBD Doctrine of Creation NBE Anthropology |
| Further subjects: | B
Memento mori
B Humility B Children's Literature B Humour B trust in being |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | This essay analyzes the classic American children's novel, Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White, which tells of a sophisticated spider's rescue of a piglet who is being prepared for slaughter. The arc of the rope swing' refers to a rope swing enjoyed by children in the novel; it is also a metaphor for the way White holds opposing forces in tension. Most noteworthy is the tension between poetic language and humour in the novel; White uses both to convey a sense of ultimate goodness and trust-in-being. Poetic language sets a contemplative tone (poetic pauses') and conveys spiritual themes, including delight, wonder at the beauty of the natural world, divine discontent' (yearning), memento mori, sorrow and hope. In contrast, White's gracious humour' is fast-paced and entertaining; it keeps the novel from being too preachy or solemn. His humour includes 1) wordplay (including the juxtaposition of incongruous words and images; dramatic irony; and puns ), 2) comedic characters (Wilbur as lovable buffoon, Charlotte as incisive wisdom figure) and 3) satire (scorn for human gullibility, arrogance and poor treatment of animals). White sharply satirises human arrogance and demonstrates the value of humility (embodied in Charlotte and Wilbur). The article also contains brief summaries of Charlotte's Web and of White's biography, and it concludes with a substantial set of talking points for discussing the novel's spiritual themes with children. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-8455 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal of children's spirituality
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/1364436X.2016.1228618 |