Children’s literature about good and evil, about various events, invented or occurred in the past, but simultaneously related to the present, allows readers to take part emotionally, empathize. Such books are an opportunity for kids to learn about many people and hear different opinions, ideas, and thoughts. Such literature is of exceptional value in terms of the formation of kids’ personal qualities, since it causes empathy in them. Based on their own experience, children try to explain the lives of other people and find a moral justification for their actions. Each character of history has a value; often, even minor characters give a sense, add branches, and bring the main characters to open dialogue or inspiration. Fumiko Ishioka and a spider Charlotte are characters that attached significance to stories about the Czech girl Hana and pig Wilbur, and the development of their characters reveals crucial themes of the books.
The name of E.B. White’s story Charlotte’s Web, suggests that a cute spider, which readers meet there, is not just an insect that lives near the piglet Wilbur. Her name is Charlotte A. Cavatica, and although she is one of those spiders who usually live in barns, she is entirely unusual. Charlotte knows how to sincerely empathize with friends, be modest and wise, and, most importantly, she can weave real words into her web, which will play an essential role in the protagonist’s fate. Considering all her outstanding qualities and extraordinary abilities, it seems that the spider deserves recognition and admiration from her surroundings. However, it is noteworthy that she remains invisible – most residents of the farm do not know about Charlotte: “Everyone admired the web. And of course nobody noticed Charlotte” (White 151). They consider the appearance of words on the web a miracle.
The spider, and the story of her friendship with Wilbur, can teach much not only children but also some adults. She proves that the first impression can be deceptive – the owners of the farm do not take her seriously. Moreover, for the first time noticing her, the piglet himself sees only cruelty and bloodthirstiness because she kills and drinks flies. After their meeting, he thinks, “Charlotte is fierce, brutal, scheming, bloodthirsty – everything I don’t like” (White 41). A little later, having known her better, Wilbur begins to admire Charlotte, and they become friends. In this way, through the connection between Wilbur and Charlotte, the themes of admiration and friendship are revealed. Such an unusual relationship proves that the main thing for a friend is not appearance, but internal qualities.
Thus, as history progresses, the impression of her changes – from a cruel flies’ killer to a faithful friend. Beyond this, there is also an internal development of the character – Charlotte seeks to be not just a spider whose goal is survival, but a savior. To help Wilbur, she comes out to the animals of the farm, although she had not previously communicated with them much. Moreover, she risks that her children may not be born in the house, and goes to the fair. In this way, the author raises the theme of perseverance and fidelity.
Charlotte is a vital character for the story – she acts as a mentor and defender of Wilbur. She feels death approaches but does not want to upset Wilbur: “I’m slowing up, feeling my age. I’m not young any more, Wilbur. But I don’t want you to worry about me. This is your big day today” (White 146). The goal of her character is to save the piglet, help him to grow up, and show readers what true friendship is. At the end of the story, Wilbur becomes more responsible and mature – he takes care of the spider’s children. Although Charlotte herself goes unnoticed, she demonstrates how important it is for life to stand out and differ from the rest, to be an individual.
The book Hana’s Suitcase is significantly different from the story of Wilbur and Charlotte. It describes the real story of a Jewish girl from the Czech Republic who did not survive World War II and its concentration camps. Thanks to the long and diligent work of Fumiko Ishioka, the story of Hana is not forgotten, and modern children can understand the loss and suffering that war brings. The disclosure of Hana’s fate began with a desire to learn more about the ordinary suitcase that belonged to the girl when she arrived at the concentration camp. It lurked in many questions: “Who was Hana Brady? Where did she come from? Where she was traveling to?” (Levine 12). Fumiko set herself the goal of answering them and finding the truth.
Fumiko Ishioka is interested in history and human rights issues, which led her to the Holocaust Center in Tokyo. She joins it as an employee and works hard, studying the data, meeting with war survivors, and collecting information. The woman is admired and inspired by Holocaust survivors: “She was astonished by their optimism and their joy in living despite everything they had been through. (…) They had so much to teach her” (Levine 16). She considers it essential that such stories be known to children from Tokyo, and finds an engaging way to represent them – through physical objects.
Having begun to search for objects that could tell not only a historical fact but also interest children, Ishioka faces many difficulties. Those who could help find or provide such items do not take her request seriously, since such belongings are too valuable to send them to a small distant museum. However, the woman’s commitment did not allow her to surrender, and after some time, she managed to get “a child sock and shoe, a child’s sweater, a can of Zyklon B poisonous gas and one suitcase – Hana’s suitcase” (Levine 17). This event marked the beginning of great work on restoring the story of Hanna.
Hanna’s story could be described separately, without the inclusion of such a character as Fumiko, but without her, this story would have been forgotten at all. The chapters on this woman’s work demonstrate that the sensitivity and perseverance shown in any job can lead to even more outstanding results than expected. Readers see how this path began – from the usual interest in history to the full disclosure of Hana’s fate. With the flow of the story, readers also observe the development of this character. Starting small, she is increasingly included in the project. Although Fumiko is persistent in her own right, at some points the children push her to continue her search, asking questions about what else can be done and learned.
Moreover, Fumiko influenced the theme by giving it a more modern tone – even though the war occurred more than seventy years ago, it is crucial to remember it and not repeat the previously made mistakes. It is difficult for modern children to imagine how children felt in concentration camps, but books and objects can give an opportunity to empathize. Readers feel how during the search for data about Hana, Fumiko is increasingly empathetic, she has warm feelings and she thinks about her relatives. This direction of character development raises the theme that memories about the past help people to make kinder and smarter decisions in the future.
Thus, the development of stories would be impossible without supporting characters. Although the examples of Charlotte and Fumiko Ishioka are different, and the books in which they became heroes are completely contrasting, they reveal the stories of the main characters. The little spider was able to show everyone that the pig, who was about to be eaten, had individuality, and saved Wilbur’s life. Fumiko could see an incredible fate behind the small suitcase and wrote in the world’s history the name of the little girl Hana, who was among the victims of World War II. Their characters developed and changed throughout the story. Charlotte and Fumiko achieved their goals, and simultaneously the first became more open and sacrificial, and the second sympathetic and caring. Moreover, their development reveals important themes in the books. The unusual spider teaches friendship, devotion, and responsibility, and Fumiko demonstrates that the past is worth remembering not only for the sake of people gone but also for the sake of the future.
Works Cited
Levine, Karen. Hana’s Suitcase: A True Story. Second Story Press, 2009.
White, Elwyn Brooks. Charlotte’s Web. Harper & Row, 1980.