Templeton Stereotypes

Between the late 1940s and early 1950s, the United States enjoyed a booming economy, loomed as the world’s military hegemon, and made technological goods and services available to more people than ever before. However, this period was also an era of conflict: the nascent civil rights movements and the crusade against immigration exposed the underlying divisions in society. Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans suffered as targets of discrimination in both employment and property ownership, and a growing number of people spoke out against this injustice. The struggle and fight against ethnic segregation entered the mainstream of American life, leaving almost 70 million children in the baby boomer generation confused about the role of ethnicity
White narrates that “the rat had no morals, no conscience, no scruples, no consideration, no decency, no milk of rodent kindness, no compunctions, no higher feeling, no friendliness, no anything” (46). Using a menial animal, White on the surface creates a character that is crafty and selfish: Templeton often steals slops from Wilbur and offers nothing in return. Templeton, however, serves an important role in the novel as he looks for new words that Charlotte can write in her web and retrieves Charlotte’s egg sac at the end. This situates the readers in a dilemma: initially thinking that a rat is disgusting and useless, but later realizing that his impact is essential. Some might argue that Templeton is still despicable because he only helps others after the promise of food. However, when he complains that nobody ever has “a kind word for a rat” (167) after all he has done, an interesting vulnerability surfaces. Templeton is bitter because he is aware that the other animals only see him as a nasty creature, and, as opposed to Charlotte, who reaches out to others and gets appreciated for her kindness, he feels the need to protect himself against those who might take advantage of him. This once again reflects the sad truth that after some children become victims of discrimination, their personality negatively changes and they lose trust in society,
White’s inspirations, “a respect for the absolute rights of human beings everywhere.” Children growing up in a multicultural background easily accept different views, values, and behaviors. With a respect for equality, White hopes to defy society’s prejudice and stereotypes and unite his readers of all ethnicities. At the end of the novel, White narrates the emergence of a new generation unexposed to societal stereotypes soon to be taught by Wilbur: Charlotte’s children. “This is our moment to set forth…we are going out into the world to make webs for ourselves… [to] wherever the wind takes us” (180), the young spiders state. In this beautiful way, Charlotte’s Web urges society’s next generation to make a