Charlotte's Web

Field trip today to see Charlotte's Web. It was fun to go, and in some ways the play was quite true to the book, even lifting text directly. However, there was an awful lot of slapstick too. One of my students said, "This was for babies." For example, when Wilbur finds out that the people intend to fatten him up and eat him, he starts acting goofy, running around screaming. Kids laughed and laughed and totally missed the point.

Similarly, when Charlotte's web is discovered, the actors acted goofy once again, pointing, shouting and running around instead of taking a moment to demonstrate awe. Again, kids laughed and laughed and some didn't know what had just happened.

I mentioned this to my colleague who disagreed with me. I wouldn't be surprised if she, like most of the world, thinks I'm too intense and serious. She said it was good to tone down the death aspects of the book.

But what's the POINT of the book unless that's minimized?! I really think children understand death better than we think, and it totally discredits them to shield them so much. What learning can happen, too, if you take good literature and just make it loud and silly.

It's a shortcut to gaining their connection, but will not foster any depth.

Sadly, we have not had a chance to read the book in class. But I asked the kids what part they liked best and several liked a scene in which Wilbur is being chased all over the farm. It is, in fact, in the book and I read them the excerpt. Many of them much preferred it. They said, "It gives more information," and "there were more details." Also, "more things happened."

I agreed.