What is the setting of Charlotte's Web by E. B. White?

The setting of Charlotte’s Web is that of two farmhouses in a small town. The action begins at the Arable farm and continues, once Wilbur is sold, at the Zuckermans’ barn. Although there is no direct indication of the time period in which the story is set, clues in the language and actions indicate it takes place around the 1950s. E. B. White drew inspiration for the novel when he discovered a barn spider while taking slops to his own pig, so in one sense, the novel is set in the very realistic world of White’s farmhouse in Maine.

White illustrates the Zuckerman barn in clarifying detail, describing the smells, sounds, tastes and sensations of each season as it comes and goes. Because this reality of farm life is so detailed, it gives the author freedom to explore the themes of mortality and nature in a straightforward fashion.

The different setting of the County Fair is significant because each main character undergoes a transformation in this location. Wilbur finally attains a prize and the security of life, while Charlotte faces her demise there. Fern’s transition from childhood to adolescence is indicated at the fair as she obsesses over young Henry Fussy and has little regard over Wilbur’s success.