MovieChat Forums > Charlotte's Web (1973) Discussion > So did Charlotte die because of Wilbur?

So did Charlotte die because of Wilbur?


I never thought of this before, but there's that scene where Wilbur begs Charlotte to let a fly go, and she does. Then she says how she really could have used the nourishment because she's about to lay her eggs. Then, sure enough, right after she does, she dies.

Is that supposed to be the reason she wasted away after giving birth? Like it's so taxing on the body that if you're not in really good health, it'll kill you? Or was it somehow tied to the webs she made for Wilbur, like that took a lot out of her system to the point that one more extreme activity (giving birth) killed her?

I always felt like it would have made more sense, dramatically, if Charlotte sacrificed herself in some way, even only indirectly, for Wilbur. But they don't make that very clear in the movie. I admit I haven't read the book, so maybe they explain it there.

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No. It was just her time.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

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Most spiders die after laying eggs. The fly would have upped her energy a bit, but it would not have extended her life.

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It was a butterfly and too pretty to eat. She must have caught other things later. She died when her time came which she sensed in advance.

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