So, I have read this book lots of times, too. It was the first book I stayed up late to read as a kid--I think I was about 8 years old and my Mom let us stay up late while my Dad was working and there was a thunderstorm that had us all freaked out. I've also read it to my kids--it's just too good not to!
But, interestingly, this reading is the first time I noticed the way E.B. White wrote the characters' interactions. I hope I can make sense of what I mean by this... Specifically, I am referring to the times Fern is visiting in the barn. She sits on her stool, and listens to what the animals say to each other. She clearly understands what they are saying--she knows them by name and repeats their conversations to her Mom. But she never converses with them. If she understands them, and she is there, why doesn't she talk to them or they to her? It's almost like the way we think of animals--we don't think to speak to them or expect them to speak to us (obviously), but why did E.B. White write Fern this way?
Sunday, February 3, 2008
What's up with Fern?
Posted by Libby at 5:56 PM
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3 comments:
It's true, why don't they interact? The animals could understand the people when they said they would kill Wilbur. And the animals were completely comfortable talking in front of Fern. Maybe that's why Fern's mom wanted to take her to the Dr. Maybe she thought it was wierd too. It's kind of making me sad that she was so left out of the friendship.
Maybe E.B. White was just using Fern as a literary tool so that we could hear both sides of the conversation. Kind of like she's the narrator. I agree that it is sad that she didn't get to share in the conversations, but I do believe she took part in the friendships. If not with all the farm animals then maybe just with Wilbur, he definitely had warm feelings for her.
My thought is that maybe in White's universe, all animals talk. But like Mr. Arable pointed out, maybe we just aren't listening. I think Fern can hear them, but maybe doesn't interact because she's just enjoying the show. As she grows older, she falls for Henry Fussy and grows out of "listening to the animals" because she's not taking the time anymore. (Just another example, in my opinion, of the cycles of life). I guess Fern's interactions could be compared to believing is Santa. He is so real when you're a kid. Then you grow out of it. But Santa could exist...just like animals could talk. I guess we'll never really know.
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