My Questions to You All (RE: Spider Legs)

 Hey guys! The topic I wanted to invite conversation on is the concrete image of the spider legs. I'm curious why you guys think they were found in Orvil's leg/Opal's leg. Is this a symbol? How does it connect to the other mentions of spiders throughout the book? 

As I expressed in class, this is definitely a detail that I feel likely has a deeper meaning, but I can't quite grasp it yet. So, I'm excited to hear what you all think! 

Comments

  1. Monique Cov.November 18, 2022 at 7:45 AM

    Honestly, I have been trying to find some deeper symbolism behind the spider legs found inside each of these characters’ legs, but so far I have not come up with much explanation. At the moment I am contemplating whether or not spider legs are some sort of foreshadowing. Opal mentioned that she got spider legs too right after something happened with Ronald. At the moment I am not sure what exactly happened but from the context it seems like something bad or extreme happened between Opal and Ronald. So I was wondering if the spider legs were some sort of warning sign in the novel. And if it is some sort of warning sign then that means that something bad is going to happen to either Orvil or someone near to him. I don’t exactly know what but it seems like it might be plausible To me, it seems especially likely that something bad is going to happen at that powwow because right before and even the prologue mentioned a lot of death and a bullet coming back around so I am wondering if the spider legs and the motifs of blood and bullets are connected as well. As for connecting with other mentions of spiders throughout the book, I am not quite sure how it fits in because we have been sort of calling spiders and their webs as a sort of trap, but at the moment I am not quite sure how they relate to each other and my whole foreshadowing notion.

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  2. HeatherLNovember 18, 2022 at 3:39 PM

    Hey Cassi! I've been wondering about those spider legs too. I forget where, but there's a quote in the book that talks about a spider carrying miles of webbing within itself waiting to be spun. For this reason, maybe we can think about spiders as representing stories that are waiting to be told. I think this idea connects to what Monique was talking about with spider legs indicating something bad is about to happen. Maybe spider legs represent both: an upcoming and painful story. Or, since the spider legs are being removed from the body, maybe they symbolize that a character is removing a painful story from inside of them by sharing it with someone else.

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  3. Hilary LeNovember 19, 2022 at 4:13 PM

    Hi Cassi! I agree that the spider legs definitely have to have some type of deeper meaning, but I'm not quite sure what it is. The only good idea I have is that the spider legs represent a change that someone must undergo. For example, Orvil finds spider legs in his leg right before attending the powwow. Perhaps the spider legs represent a monumental moment that Orvil will experience at the powwow.

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  4. James MaddenNovember 19, 2022 at 8:15 PM

    Hey Cassi! I'm not totally sure if this is correct, but I believe that the spider legs symbolize a character's development as they are beginning to become an adult. Spider legs in There There generally foreshadow something bad that is about to happen to a character. For example, Opal pulled spider legs out of her leg right before Ronald's immoral behavior. I think that the spider legs foreshadow a character going through a serious, painful development in order to become more adult. In a way, they've lost innocence.

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  5. Audrey SchroederNovember 20, 2022 at 11:02 AM

    Hi Cassi! My comment probably will not help you understand your prompt better because I actually inquired about a similar topic in my blog post. But, I'm still having a great time reading people's responses to your question and I am learning a lot. Thanks for prompting this discussion!

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  6. Catalina DegnanNovember 20, 2022 at 8:14 PM

    Hey Cassi! I'm still at a loss for the true meaning behind the spider leg and I think I'll have to agree with the other comments above! It definitely seems to be a motif of change, which probably reflects character development in the novel.

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  7. Gema Sanchez GamezNovember 20, 2022 at 11:04 PM

    Hey Cassi! Although I don't really understand the concept of spider legs in "There There", I think it has to do with navigating family life. Webs are hard to navigate unless you were the one that created it. In the same way, navigating life is hard for the character's in "There There" because only they understand their experiences and the support they need.

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  8. John SawyerNovember 21, 2022 at 10:24 PM

    I think the spider and webs seem to symbolize how the two together are both a "home and a trap" (101). However, I am still not sure about spider legs in particular. Since the legs are part of the spider, they could be what bridges the spider to this home/trap Jacquie Red Feather was talking about.

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  9. Griffin JonesNovember 24, 2022 at 11:31 AM

    I honestly think that the spider legs growing out of legs refers to hair growing out of a child's legs and therefore the start of aging and growing up. This novel takes place over a long period of time as it shifts perspectives, and I think that that passage of time and growing up are important parts of the story. I also think, however, that other mentions of spiders and webs are unrelated. For example the spider's web being a home and a trap I think is more related to either Jacquie's drinking or the city of Oakland in general.

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  10. Jalen PaigeNovember 24, 2022 at 3:55 PM

    I think spider legs aren't mean to have a literal, medical meaning. They are supposed to be unexplained and more metaphorical. They represent the society we live in, one that is has become "both a home and a trap" for Native peoples that live in it. Orvil pulls the legs out, which could mean he is growing up and becoming a part of the trap-home dynamic. He is coming to understand his culture and place in the world. The spider's web is Oakland, or the U.S. It is home to Natives, while also being the place that traps and oppresses them.

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