19 pages • 38 minutes read
Mary HowittThe Spider And The Fly
Fiction | Poem | Middle Grade | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Dangers of Temptation
“The Spider to the Fly” was originally captioned by the subtitle: “A new Version of an old Story.” Indeed, it is perhaps one of the oldest: the dangers of temptation. Acting much like the seductive snake in the garden of Eden, Spider is the devilish entity who seduces a woman into doing what he wants. Fly takes on the role of the victim, succumbing to Spider’s charm due to her own desire for self-knowledge.
Spider is a seducer. Like Satan in John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), he is charming and deceptive. He tries tempting Fly with a variety of things including “curious[ities]” (Line 4), opulence such as expensive bedding, and delicious food of which she may partake. He talks of his “warm affection” (Line 14) and calls her pet names like “dear” (Lines 7, 13), “friend” (Line 13), and “sweet creature” (Line 19). Knowing what kind of man/insect he is—and what he’s done to other flies, Fly resists him—until she is offered something she might not have: a mirror.
The idea of seeing her own beauty in Spider’s “looking-glass” (Line 21) is as tempting as Eve’s desire for the apple. Spider immediately understands this and ups the seduction accordingly by concentrating on her looks, complimenting her eyes, clothes, and hairdo, all items that she will need him—and his mirror—to help her see. Spider is cunning and doesn’t pursue his agenda immediately. Instead, he lets Fly go after their initial encounter, knowing full well, “the silly fly would soon come back again” (Line 26) after becoming curious as to what she might actually look like.
When he calls on her again, he continues to weaponize flattery. He expresses how pretty she is, adding in descriptions that emphasize color and qualities of valuable rarity. He notes her raiment as “pearl and silver” (Line 30) and how her “eyes are like the diamond bright” (Line 32). Fly’s interest in measuring herself in a mirror grows exponentially; she draws nearer to Spider, cementing her eventual demise. This illustrates the perils of vanity. Rather than resisting Spider’s flattery, she lets her guard down. In consequence, she is caught by the Spider, who drags her up “his winding stair” (Line 39) to her ruin. Along with the notation of the Spider as an “evil counsellor” (Line 43), this aligns the poem with the “Old Story” in the Bible of Eve’s temptation by the snake.
Ignoring Knowledge and Intuition
While it appears that Fly’s mistake is listening to Spider’s flattery, that is only part of the problem. Fly knew that Spider had a reputation for taking others to his “parlour” (Lines 1-3, 40) and chose to not weigh this information against the sincerity of Spider’s compliments. The moral of Howitt’s poem is not simply that girls should not be vain about their looks, but that everyone should use discernment when evaluating the motivations of others.
Fly, like many of us, wants to be seen as attractive and special. A relationship with Spider becomes appealing, as Fly’s fledgling self-esteem is soothed by his flattery. Fly is continually called “little” (Lines 5, 11, 17, 33), suggesting that the Spider is either bigger, older, or more worldly than she. Yet, the attraction Fly has to being flattered by a more sophisticated man is not the problem, in and of itself. The issue is that Spider’s intentions are suspect—and Fly knows it from the start.
Several notations show that Fly understands there is danger in speaking with Spider. Spider is clearly known as a predator of “little fl[ies]” (Line 5), a serial dater, or worse. Upon receiving Spider’s initial invitation, Fly relies on prior information to solidify her refusal. She knows that those “who [go] up your winding stair can ne’er come down again” (Line 6). Further, she’s “heard it said” (Line 11) that those who engage in a relationship “never, ever wake again” (Line 12). She’s also “heard what’s in [his] pantry and [does] not wish to see” (Line 18). Clearly, Spider has a reputation in Fly’s world and it isn’t good. Multiple flies have been caught in his web.
However, Spider uses subterfuge, flashing his wealth and abundance and using flattery, to seduce Fly. As a serial devourer/abuser, he’s done this before. Putting the idea that she is beautiful to him in her mind, Spider confidently notes that “the silly Fly would soon come back again” (Line 26). He knows this because she now sees him as “kind” (Line 17) and “gentle” (Line 23), despite this being far from true. This does not suggest that Spider is justified in his bad behavior, but it shows how such deceit may unfold. Actions, Howitt suggests, should be taken into consideration along with any fawning words. The problem is not that Fly wanted to be told she was pretty, but that she let that desire erase the evidence against Spider’s sincerity. If she had not done so, she would not have been his prey.
Spider’s Economic Entitlement
Although “The Spider to the Fly” can be read as a parable about not being vain, it can also be seen as an apologue, or moral fable, of the advantages and disadvantages of economics. Howitt’s narrator portrays both disparities in gender and financial means: Spider is wealthy and male and Fly poorer and female.
Spider is depicted as quite wealthy, having items and circumstances that Fly does not. He paints a picture of his home that highlights creature comforts. He has “the prettiest little parlour” (Line 2) and a bed with “sheets [that] are fine and thin” (Line 9). He has a “good store of all that’s nice” (Line 15). These details show that Spider seems to enjoy a life of privilege. This is made most clear by Spider’s possession of a “looking-glass” (Line 21). While household mirrors are common today, in 1829 they were an expensive commodity. Very few people of common means had seen their own reflection in a mirror.
Fly is one of several other flies in the world that Howitt creates, and she is continually described as “little” (Lines 5, 11, 17, 33). This suggests that she is in a much more vulnerable position than Spider, who is portrayed as singular and powerful. Spider has preyed on those with limited independence “often” (Line 12), but he seems to be allowed to continue this behavior without repercussion. As Fly notes: “I’ve often heard it said / [flies] never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed” (Line 12). Yet no one tears down Spider’s web because, at heart, flies seem to have less importance in this world than Spider does. No wonder Spider “merrily” (Line 29) seduces Fly into his “subtle web, in a little corner, sly” (Line 27). His violence is never checked.
While Howitt’s narrator directs us to being wary of “idle, silly flattering words” (Line 42), that’s not the full story of this poem. It is also a significant warning that rich men may be serial seducers of working-class girls and will receive very little reprimand.
