The Spider And The Fly

The “winding stair” (Lines 3, 6, 39), in an entomological sense, refers to the stabilimentum the spider has created down the center of the web; it forms a zig zag, or winding, pattern. Spiders often rest on or near the stabilimentum so as not to be seen by their prey until it is caught. Orb-weaving spiders will sometimes hide the bodies of their dead prey in this thicker area until they can remove them at night. Metaphorically, Spider’s staircase leads to his apartment, or den, which contains his sitting room, kitchen, and bedroom, the location of his previous crimes. Its meandering path suggests either a journey of several flights, or that it, like the Spider’s intent, is crooked.

One way that Spider lures Fly is by promising to “snugly tuck her in” (Line 10) his bed. This is an allusion to the way spiders swath their prey but also to the physical payment a man like Spider might extract from Fly. Respite in Spider’s rich abode might be appealing to Fly, especially if she’s a shopgirl, maid, or cook’s assistant, but the cost is high. In Howitt’s era, an unwed girl having an affair with a man would be considered fallen from virtue.