Summary Of Charlotte's Web As The Creative Experience Of Play By Jeanne P Johnson

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In Jeanne P Johnson’s “Reimagining Charlotte’s Web as the Creative Experience of Play” article Johnson focuses on the idea that Charlotte’s Web is based on the power of hope, compassion and friendship despite inevitable death. Johnson presents the idea that the actions of the characters have hidden meaning and contribute to the creative experience of the reader.

Johnson starts with an example of hidden meaning. In the scene where Fern pleads for the to save the life of the newly born runt; Fern states “the pig couldn’t help being born small ... If I had been very small at birth, would you have killed me?” () Fern relates herself to the piglet focusing on the idea that they are the same. Johnson shows the idea that children must develop the idea that there are differences in situation, for instance in this situation Fern sees herself equal to the piglet not as human and animal. Later, after ferns father allows her to keep and care for the piglet the imagination of a child is represented. Fern names the piglet Wilbur, bottle feeding him, pushing him in a stroller, and washing him in a bath. Johnson explains how this scene reflects …show more content…

Fern is not seeing a piglet she is seeing a baby and caring for it as if it were so. Johnson also focuses on the idea that “Wilbur may be understood to represent the mother-child bond or “transitional object” for Fern, an object that allows her to continue her development of independence while creatively expanding her sense of self. As children’s

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