As I have read further and further into the book, I am finding more and more evidence leading toward a theory that I am forming that the only thing that Templeton has ever, will ever, and can ever love besides himself of course, is food. Lots and lots and lots of food. There are several instances where Templeton shows this ugly truth to the rest of the barn. Even tough they all know how unpleasant he is, it is still amazing how nasty he is towards others.
One instance of this is when charlotte needs new words for her web, so that she can trick Mr. Zucherman into letting wilbur live. And not turning him into nice crisp beacon. Charlotte asks Templeton to do the small favor of bringing back newspaper clippings from his daily trips to the dump. His answer: a straight up no.
Another time this sort of thing happens is when The goose's eighth egg fails to hatch. The rat shows no consideration, no decency, no nothing for the goose and just takes the egg. The book even describes him as a rat with"No morals, no conscience, no scruples, no consideration, no decency, no milk of rodent kindness, no compunctions, no higher feeling, no friendliness, no anything." It also states that the rat wouldn't hesitate to kill a gosling, that's just sick. Who would do that, especially to their own neighbor?
When the county fair comes along, Wilbur and charlotte are going to try and have Wilbur win a prize. Just to seal his safety and well-being. Charlotte asks Templeton to come along so that she can have someone who can get her newspaper clippings with her. Templeton's first answer is, no, let him die. The only reason Templeton actually ends up going is because the old sheep convinced him to go for all the garbage that will be there.
Right at the end of the book, as Charlotte is dying, Wilbur needs to get her eggs safely into his wooden crate for transport back to the barn, Templeton is resting his fat ass in the corner of the shed, and refuses to help Wilbur. The only reason that he helps out is because Wilbur swears that he will forever let Templeton eat out of his slops first. These instances of pure selfishness on Templeton's part have led me to believe that the only thing Templeton will ever love, is food. Lots and lots and lots of food.
Oh, I hadn't read this post when I commented on the first part. The rat's case is worse than I remembered! In the book, at any rate... I'll have to read it again someday, it's been too long for me to remember those discouraging details. *sigh* Maybe Charlotte was right: a rat is a rat... Still, I hate it when mean characters I can't help liking fail to change. :(
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