Size Matters

I just wanted to talk about the spiders in Mirkwood more since we didn't say much about them in class. I think it is extremely important to note that those spiders were way bigger than "normal" spiders. They were easily able to capture the dwarves (who may be short but also very stout). Bilbo is very small compared to the spiders. This makes the spiders even scarier to him and a bigger obstacle to overcome. Tolkien purposefully puts Bilbo and the spiders on opposite sides of the scale. This serves to highlight and enlarge Bilbo's bravery in outwitting and killing the spiders. It intensifies the action and emphasizes a recurring theme throughout The Hobbit and The LOTR: even the smallest person can do great things and affect change.