What defines a person? Is it his actions, his intention or his reputation? No matter what the answer, people associate who they are with the words used to describe them. The novel Charlotte's Web is no exception, as within it words are used as the basis for transforming perspectives. In the novel, the individual words woven into Charlotte's web transform the other characters' perspectives of Wilbur. After realizing the impact and influence of the words by witnessing the other characters' change in perspective, Wilbur begins to change his perception of himself. Charlotte, on the other hand, uses words as a way to form a moral for Wilbur. This awareness of words reveals Wilbur and Charlotte's relationship with words as a mechanism of transformation and consequently reflects the child-parent relationship that Wilbur and Charlotte possess. In this relationship, Wilbur fills the role of a child and Charlotte fills the role of a parent and demonstrates why and when words are appropriate to use. Other characters' opinions of Wilbur are influenced by words written on Charlotte's web. At first, Wilbur was considered just pork, something to eat during the winter (49). However, as soon as the words appeared on Charlotte's Web, Mr. Zuckerman stopped thinking of Wilbur as food. When the word 'awesome' appears on the web, Mr. Zuckerman states that "there's not a pig in the whole state that's as awesome as our pig" (96). When the word 'radiant' appears on Charlotte's web, Mr. Zuckerman says, "that pig is radiant" (115). In other words, Mr. Zuckerman's opinion of Wilbur changes as soon as he reads the words in Charlotte's Web. Mr. Zuckerman's change in perspective is obviously evident in his use of descriptive words from... middle of paper... more aware that a child, like Wilbur, will associate words with himself believing he must become what he is told of him. At the same time, children learn to be humble when receiving compliments. Additionally, readers recognize that, just as the other characters in the story show, most people's perception of words is a way of reflecting the personality and qualities someone possesses. To be good parents, they should use words like Charlotte does; they should choose words based on their meaning and with a purpose in mind. In the case of this novel, Charlotte uses words to save Wilbur from death and to teach him not to let compliments consume his ego. Parents are reminded that they should act as narrators in their children's lives like Charlotte, who is the background voice that allows Wilbur to take the stage as he weaves the words that ensnare readers.