Arachnophobia, Arachnophilia

Arachnids, including spiders, scorpions, tarantulas, and their relatives, elicit irrational reactions. For many people arachnids trigger fear, from simple unease to clinical arachnophobia. For others, arachnids evoke admiration and inspiration. Despite being repulsive subjects in innumerable stories and images, they are nonetheless frequently exalted in art, literature, and music. What explains this difference? We will examine these depictions of arachnids and why they elicit such divergent psychological responses. After introductions to their natural history and historical portrayals, student-selected presentations will focus on the role of arachnids in literature, poetry, mythology, music, film, and art, attempting to understand their duality.