The Plunge with Derek Holser Charlotte's Web, The Finale: Animals in Literature | Elizabeth Hardy
Welcome to Episode 5 in our Animals in Literature series. This series aims to explore the origins, conventions, and meanings we find in stories featuring anthropomorphic animals.
Joining me today is Elizabeth Hardy as we conclude our chapter-by-chapter journey through the beloved Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
Elizabeth is an instructor of English at western North Carolina's Mayland Community College. In addition to composition and literature courses, she teaches humanities courses, including Myth in Human Culture and Introduction to Film.
To learn more about Elizabeth's life and work, check out her website: https://www.appalachianinkling.com/
Elizabeth's newest book, to be published October 2026, is Appalachia in the Hunger Games: Real-Life Roots of District 12 (https://tinyurl.com/3z7kuran)
This book reviews Suzanne Collins's depiction of District 12, which draws upon longstanding Appalachian landscapes, industries, and culture, using lived experiences from the region as inspiration for her fictional setting. Elizabeth examines how Susanne Collins adapts features of Appalachian geography and community into speculative fiction, creating an environment that echoes both contemporary and historic Appalachia.
Elizabeth is the author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels. (https://www.amazon.com/Milton-Spenser-Chronicles-Narnia-Literary/dp/0786428767)
She also frequently writes literary and popular culture criticism and has contributed to numerous collections focusing on the work of C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, as well as on topics as diverse as The Hunger Games and Star Trek. A popular presenter, she contributes to a variety of programs and podcasts and might be found sharing about 18th century medicinal plants, World War II Victory Gardens, or literary alchemy, depending on the day.
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