Ella Enchanted: An Observation, Connection, Question and Surprise

From very early on in the book I noticed that Dame Olga really seemed to be taken with Sir Peter which made me begin to wonder if they would get married eventually. As time went on I continued to notice this, but felt privy to information as a reader that Sir Peter did not have. Dame Olga seemed to talk about him constantly and have ulterior motives. She saw Sir Peter's desire to send Ella off with her children as his affection for her, but in reality it was just him trying to get rid of Ella and make her into the more sophisticated child he thought she should be. Of course, ultimately Dame Olga did marry Sir Peter, although he chose to ignore her obsession by traveling. 

Like Ella my father traveled frequently throughout my childhood. I spent much of my time with my mother and my siblings. However, unlike Ella and Sir Peter, I have always had a fairly good relationship with my father. Even though I would go many days to a week without seeing him, he still seemed to take great interest in my life and my doings. I wonder what it must have felt like to Ella to not have this relationship with her father. Her close relationship with her mother and Mandy seemed to make up for it, but I still wonder if she felt more longing for her father than she let on. She never directly addresses this issue, but seems to foster a lot of resentment towards her father. 

To be honest, I did not originally realize that this was supposed to be a Cinderella story. I noticed the similarities with the step-mother and step-sisters, as well as having to become a servant, however the more feminist approach to this book hid some of the other aspects to me. I really appreciated the new spin on this tale, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. As a Cinderella lover, I never have thought much about the idea of the perpetuation of gender stereotypes, but I was able to see it in a new light. I am not completely rejecting the Disney type story, but I fully appreciate the idea of giving it a more modern gender spin. I wonder why Levine decided to do this story. Whether she was a feminist herself, or was bothered by the stereotypes emitted in very many fairy-tales? I also wonder why she decided to keep the romance at the end, instead of maybe having Ella lead a happy, independent life. 

I was a little shocked by the twist to the story. I do not recall ever reading a story in which the fairy godmother did not perform all sorts of magic for the goddaughter. I really enjoyed this twist to the story and felt that while obviously being fantasy, it made it more believable. It also made Ella a more likable character because she was forced to persist and overcome adversity without having someone just do everything for her. 

The Wringer: A New Book

To be honest, when I started this book I was not sure I liked it. It seemed very dark and I was rather confused about exactly what was going on. That opinion quickly changed, and I grew to love this book: consequently recommending it to many of my 5th graders!

Right from the very beginning of the book (before the first official page) I was making predictions about the content. Using the cover and the first passage I was able to predict what "wringers" were and that the character speaking would do anything in his power to stay away from being one. Right from the start this passage gave the book a very ominous tone. I could almost feel the impending doom, and felt myself constantly wondering how this story would end up.

I spent much of my time reading focusing on Palmer as a character because he seemed to constantly confuse me. He seemed to have a constant desire to fit in with others, which I was glad he was ultimately able to escape from. He seemed to struggle with his desire to fit in with the boys, but to not be a wringer. I found it to be interesting that after getting "the treatment" he wasn't interested in healing. He also seems to struggle with his relationship with Dorothy; subscribing to the idea of calling her "fish face", but also alluding to the idea that he has a deeper type of relationship with her. He seems to discard her as a friend, but his comments about her and his desire to have her notice him seem to prevail. Palmer also seems to be a very caring and sympathetic character, despite his need to be liked. As a young boy he describes thinking of the wringers as putting the pigeons out of their misery, rather than harming them. He also is wondering why they do not go about this in a different way, realizing that this is rather inhumane. Additionally, his struggles with the entire process involving the pigeons seems to be rather multifaceted. At times he is interested in pretending it does not happen, even though it seems to overtake his life (ie: the smell). However, knowing that because of the pigeons he has the equipment to play on at the park he thanks the pigeons for that ability whenever he goes. His attachment to Nipper once he comes along also continues this idea of Palmer being caring and sympathetic. Despite the fact that he knows he could get in trouble for taking care of Nipper, he also knows he can't leave him in the cold. Ultimately it is Nipper who helps him to abandon the idea of constantly needing to be liked, and fitting in. It is also Nipper that brings him and Dorothy back together. Nipper and Dorothy seem to go together; when Nipper leaves for an extended period of time it is also when Dorothy says hurtful words to Palmer. He seems to associate them both together, and feels additional hurt because of this. I think that when Palmer starts to realize how crazy his relationship with the boys is in when Dorothy makes a very sarcastic comment about all the things they do (p. 120-121). At this point I predicted that Palmer would start to shy away from them, and of course he did. The lengths that Palmer is willing to go to for Nipper are quite incredible, showing that he values friendship and loyalty. He does things that are completely out of character at school, such as spitting on the floor and doing other things to get into trouble. Palmer finally comes to the realization that he does not like who he has become and changes his ways. This is his ultimate testament to Nipper.

This story is an incredible coming of age story that I found to be riveting and fascinating. This is the kind of text that I never would have picked up as a child, but I am so glad I have been given the chance to read it today.

Charlotte's Web, Many Years Later

As a child reading Charlotte's Web I enjoyed the storyline, particularly the relationships developed between Wilbur and Fern and Wilbur and Charlotte. These are some of the same things I find myself enjoying as an adult reader. As an educator focused on the literacy aspect I found myself reading for purposes I never would have imagined as a child.

One of the first things that I focused on quite naturally as a reader was the characters in the text. First and foremost, I was struck by the tenderness and compassion of Fern. She immediately jumped in to save Wilbur and treated him with such kindness, nurturing him as if he was a real child. The act of her bottle feeding him and running home to play with him showed this kind side. I also noted the way that Fern's tenderness and compassion were shared with her father. When first meeting Mr. Arable it appears as if he is quite the opposite of his daughter. However, Fern's emotional response to the possible death of Wilbur evokes a new side of Mr. Arable. This reveals what kind of a character he is,  showing that he is quite empathetic. This sets the tone of how Mr. Arable is portrayed through much of the rest of the book. One particular instance that really struck me with Mr. Arable is when Mrs. Arable is very upset about the way Fern is acting. She is so worried when Fern says she talks to animals, and Mr. Arable simply responds with "Maybe our ears aren't as sharp as Fern's." This shocked me a little bit because Mr. Arable always seemed to mean business, but this reinforces the idea of his kind and emphathetic personality. I identified slightly with Mr. Arable at this point in the text, wondering myself if animals really do talk, and we just aren't listening.

Right off the bat it is possible to notice how White portrays Wilbur in such a personal way. He is not just a pig, but an essential character in the book that anyone would be hard-pressed to not fall in love with. Wilbur's thoughts and feelings are portrayed in the same way that any other character's are. He almost feels human. Once Wilbur moves to the farm it is heartbreaking to experience his loneliness along with him. When he finally hears Charlotte's voice there is a definite sense of foreshadowing to his development of a new friend. The animals reaction to his call for his friend the next morning is not the most kind. It really made me wonder if their relationship would remain static or begin to change along with the storyline. Of course as time went on I learned that it was the latter.

I was immediately drawn to the way Charlotte is portrayed by herself versus how Charlotte is portrayed by Wilbur. Upon first meeting Charlotte demonstrates through her thoughts and actions that she is pretty, intelligent and talented. Wilbur thinks of Charlotte as blood-thirsty, brutal and fierce. It is interesting to see how Wilbur's thoughts change about Charlotte throughout the text.

Templeton, while not being a main character, is given the opportunity to grow and change. Initally Templeton is described as immoral, inscrupulous, incosiderate, indecent, unfriendly, ruthless and without conscience. While he never completely leaves this description, he does show his good side in regards to Charlotte and Wilbur. While he does not seem to experience a complete change of heart, he finds a common ground with Wilbur on which they are able to strike a deal. While I think this deal intially is what helps him to do good, there may be some good sentiments behind it that are hidden behind his constant need to show he does not care for anyone else.

I find it interesting the emotional appeal Charlotte has as a character. To many spiders are simply evil, something we run away from and kill at any costs. However, it is hard to find someone who reads this book and does not feel heartbroken when Charlotte dies. She is a kind, loving character, not the malicious, scary spider we see in real life. I love the way White highlights the good things that spiders do, particularly when talking about the wonders of making a web. The reference to the Queensborough Bridge is highly relevant to many of the students I work with today, and creates an interesting perspective around this arduous yet fairly quick task of making a web.

Upon finishing reading and looking back, signs of Charlotte's impending motherhood are apparent early on in the book. A conversation occurs between Charlotte and Wilbur on pages 64 and 65 that reminds me of many a conversation I have had with my own mother. Wilbur bargains with Charlotte about getting food and drink, testing how far he can go. While she gives just a little bit she ultimately knows he is procrastinating and sends him to bed, but not before saying good night. Additionally, Wilbur is not someone who really thinks very much of himself, but through Charlotte's Web he finally starts to see himself as something. When she writes the the word "terrific" he feels terrific. When she writes the word "radiant" he feels and acts radiant. While literally saving Wilbur's life, it seems as if she figuratively saves his life as well. Before Charlotte came along Wilbur would often feel lonely and withdrawn, as if he didn't really matter to anything or anyone. The words of Charlotte's web, as well as her kind demeanor changed Wilbur's mind, and the minds of the Arable's, Zuckerman's and the farm animals. Charlotte only continued to further her character when she chose to accompany Wilbur to the fair, despite her ailing health. Charlotte breaks character, if only for a moment when she declares that for once she needs to do something for herself; make her egg sac. However, while this is portrayed as a selfish act on Charlotte's behalf, it's perhaps the most selfless thing she ever did. The legacy she left behind only continued to foster Wilbur. While Charlotte's character remains rather static, Wilbur's continues to evolve. However, Wilbur's character would never undergo this evolution without the help of Charlotte. When Charlotte's work was over, she smiled and waved goodbye, dying on her own. This is perhaps the emotional climax of this book, and one that as an adult still brings me to tears. It's almost as if even though Charlotte was always surrounding by others, she was really, truly alone.
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Lastly, while reading this book again I had a revelation about Fern. When you first start reading this book you expect Fern to be a main character. However, the relationship that truly evolves is not between Fern and Wilbur but between Wilbur and Charlotte. Often, I feel that people dismiss Fern's character pretty quickly into this novel. I have come now to see Fern's character and storyline as a "coming of age" story. Fern grows from this young child who is so emotionally distraught over a pig, to a mature young girl, all over the course of a few months. This transformation is mostly in thanks to Wilbur, although he does nothing himself to foster it. Fern, while typically on the back burner, is perhaps one of the most important characters of all.

Re-reading this novel as an adult really grew my ideas around it. I think it is important for educators to participate in this practice in order to grow as readers, and to help their students grow.