Since the birth of Aesop's fables, dating back over two thousand years ago, "animal literature" has been used as a teaching tool. That is, when a certain piece of literature centers on an animal, there is usually a certain moral, emotional, or ethical lesson to be learned. The method varies, as sometimes the animal exists realistically and other times the animal is anthropomorphic and teaches directly through words. Using animals as a teaching tool is necessary in many ways, because they act as symbols and totems for our real-life morals and teach them in a way that human characters could not. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In Charlotte's Web, the protagonist Charlotte is a spider who uses her worldly knowledge to help Wilbur the pig in his life (and, sometimes, saves Esso). Her position as a knowledgeable, maternal figure is different from many other animal stories, however: she does not teach through her experiences in the novel but rather directly through words. He already has the knowledge needed to help Wilbur and talk about the complexities of life. She acts as his first true companion and teaches him about the life and nature of spiders, as only a spider could, as well as establishing his credibility and intelligence. He says: “I must say what is true. I'm not entirely happy with my diet of flies and bugs, but that's just the way I am... For thousands and thousands of years we spiders have sought out flies and bugs” (White 39). His use of "we" to refer to the spider family indicates the close relationship he has with his peers. This establishes Charlotte as a trustworthy teacher and member of the spider species, especially since the first thing she says is “I must say what is true,” directly telling us that what she says is believable. Carlotta's position as a reliable and friendly character will be the necessary framework for her later teachings, since we now know that her later philosophical statements are based on an intelligent background. A reader, especially a younger one among the audience this novel is aimed at, would likely be impressed by the intelligence shown by Charlotte given her lifestyle habits and would be interested in her ideas afterward. Charlotte also affirms her intelligence by saying “I live by my wits. I must be sharp and intelligent, so as not to go hungry” (40). We learn that by her very nature, Charlotte is a witty character capable of making statements that we can believe or at least consider to be true. Her subsequent explanation of how her eating habits help save the world around her from insect infestation (40), as well as her subsequent mention of the activities at the Queensborough Bridge (60), reinforce the fact that Charlotte has a strong worldly background and knowledge that extends far beyond the limited realm of the stable in which she lives. When Wilbur discovers that he is about to be killed for Christmas meat, the resulting panic leads him to ask help to his only close friend. Of course it is not possible for a human to replace an animal in this position; only an animal can help him since humans (the enemy for him at this point) are in agreement to make him eat. Only Fern, the girl, can be considered an ally, but she transcends the human group because she can talk to animals, and therefore from the beginning she is the only human who does not side with their reasoning or desires. For the second time in the novel, Wilbur must now be saved. Both times, he is saved by a transcendent figure: Fern, the girl who can talk to animals, and now Charlotte,the animal that can communicate with humans through writing on the web (80). Discussions about animals parallel human concerns and desires, so when Charlotte talks to Wilbur about something, the reader can interpret it as the solution to the problems humans pose to animals and, therefore, the solution for how to deal with them. They. She later says of Templeton's possible reluctance to help save Wilbur: “I'm not sure Templeton will be willing to help. You know how he is: he always thinks of himself, he never thinks of others” (89). By saying this Charlotte recognized several things at once. First, he alludes to his own altruism in helping Wilbur, that is, to "think of the other", but also to Templeton the mouse who did not do so. Here he criticizes people who do not take into account the desires of “others” (animals) and act selfishly. He also criticizes humans in other areas, such as arguing against the nature of their busy, fast-paced lives (60). Again, a reader might be inclined to see Charlotte's opinions on people as a reflection of someone who has experienced it that way: someone who lives day after day in a hurry, or with thoughtless people, would certainly have an opinion more informed. opinion on these issues. A spider, living calmly and outside of busy human life, offers a view outside the realm of human existence that allows us to self-reflect and question our own lives. Charlotte's comment could only be made by a country animal outside of the busy, thoughtless human life. Additionally, Charlotte has firm opinions on the concepts of life and death. His views are quite philosophical; at one point he says “after all, what is life? We are born, we live a short time, we die. A spider's life can't help but be a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, maybe I was trying to make my life a little better. Heaven knows anyone's life can handle a little of that” (164). Charlotte's vast knowledge and wit are less significant than the friendship she has with a pig. Charlotte is saying that companionship and friendship are the most important things to cherish instead of intelligence or other efforts. As an animal with a short life and repetitive lifestyle, the friendship she has with Wilbur is the most important thing to her. So, in our short lives (according to Charlotte, the length of each life is only “a little”) it is very important to find friends to spend the life we ​​have with. Wilbur then follows this advice and quickly befriends three of Charlotte's daughters after her death (182). While it may seem counterintuitive to trust a spider's advice in providing answers to deep questions like "What is most important in my life?", it actually makes sense in this case. Charlotte's realm of experiences is somewhat enormous, but her existence is short and limited only to the barn in which she lives. For many of us, we have a breadth of knowledge that expands far beyond where we live, but we do not have the ability to experience the totality of that knowledge. Charlotte says: “do you know how long it took men to build [the Queensborough Bridge]? Eight whole years. My God, I would have starved to death waiting that long” (60). She goes on to discuss her lifestyle and her content nature in not going out to explore everything, giving her more time to think and reflect on life. Perhaps Charlotte isn't advocating that everyone do the same, but that they consider taking a moment to "soak up" life. So, why Charlotte? Why use an animal as a moral teacher? “Why animals now?” by Marianne Dekoven states that “only from the human point of view.