Symbolic Meaning In White's Charlotte's Web = Symbolic Meaning In White's Charlotte's Web

This thesis research discusses the characterization of the Charlotte's Web. The novel tells about Wilbur's journey as a pig, determined to avoid his tragic destiny as a pig on a farm. On this journey, Wilbur meets his faithful friend, Charlotte, the spider, who helps him escape his fate. In this study, the author explains the symbols in Charlotte's web. The thesis uses a pure structuralism approach to analyze the intrinsic elements: characterization, plot, setting, and theme. The writer also uses the symbol theory by Pickering and Hoeper (1981) to analyze the aspects of symbolism in the novel. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method. The main data source comes from the novel Charlotte's Web, published in 1952 and revised in 2012 by HarperCollins. The results of this study show that E.B. White uses aspects of symbolism in his novels, such as characters, objects, and events. The writer finds symbols. There are several things that the author underlines regarding the meaning of symbolism in the novel, such as symbols in characters Wilbur, Charlotte, Fern Arable, Templeton, Mr. Zuckerman, Dr. Dorian, geese, and old sheep. Object symbols are the barn, Templeton's stash, and Charlotte's web. And for event symbols, the author found the county fair, the community's reaction, and Charlotte's death. It is shown that children's literature also has complex meanings.

Keyword : Symbolism, Structuralism Approach, Charlotte’s Web