Memorable words from my mothe a few weeks after comming to Toronto: "squirrels are supposed to be
red!"
Toronto is infested with black squirrels (that love to cross the road right in front of your car).
By putting in black squirrels and butterflies Tolkien most likely wanted to create a darker atmosphere. The scientific explanation for the colour could be the lack of sunlight under the Mirkwood trees and the theory of evolution.
I do believe that the spiders are descendants of Ungoliant, like Shelob, but less potent. They still posess the intelligence, but they lack that power, or perhaps that strong of an evil, that Frodo and Sam felt when they went through Cirith Ungol.
In this chapter Bilbo not only stops getting himself into trouble, but he gets out of it - and rescues the Dwarves as well! He thinks quickly on his feet and braves the perils of diverting the spiders away from the clumsy company. And Bilbo develops as a poet as well.
I'm wondering about the passage when Thranduil questions Thorin about his company and Thorin replies that they are starving. On one hand, Thorin seems like the staunch hero, making the mood graver, but on the other the repeated phrasing about starving becomes funny. When you read it, do you think its more light-hearted or somber?
xed with
Tuor