Previous
The Centipede
Miss Spider is one of the giant bugs that James finds living inside the giant peach. She’s about the size of a child and is frightening for James at first—she’s the first to announce that she’s hungry, thereby making James think that she wants to eat him. In reality, Miss Spider is kind, helpful, and generous. She readily accepts James as the captain of the peach, and she also tells James stories that teach him why it’s important to not make assumptions about people. Since she’s a spider, most people are afraid of her and automatically don’t like her—even though she does nothing but good for the world by catching pesky flies and mosquitos in her web. While the assumptions people make about her are unfair and upsetting, even worse, she suggests, is the ease with which people act violently based on these prejudices. She tells James stories about her father, whom Aunt Sponge washed down the bathtub drain, and her grandmother, who got stuck in the fresh paint of Aunt Spiker’s ceiling and was eventually murdered with a mop. While all the giant bugs on the peach help James learn to be empathetic and approach others with openness and curiosity instead of prejudice, Miss Spider’s stories are perhaps the most meaningful in James’s personal development. Once in New York City, Miss Spider and the Silkworm learn to spin nylon and make a living creating ropes for tightrope walkers.
Miss Spider Quotes in James and the Giant Peach
The James and the Giant Peach quotes below are all either spoken by Miss Spider or refer to Miss Spider. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13
Quotes
Already, he was beginning to like his new friends very much. They were not nearly as terrible as they looked. In fact, they weren’t really terrible at all. They seemed extremely kind and helpful in spite of all the shouting and arguing that went on between them.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17
Quotes
“But my dear friends!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, trying to be cheerful, “we are there!”
“Where?” they asked. “Where? Where is there?”
“I don’t know, the Old-Green-Grasshopper said. “But I’ll bet it’s somewhere good.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“None of us three girls can swim a single stroke.”
“But you won’t have to swim,” said James calmly. “We are floating beautifully. And sooner or later a ship is bound to come along and pick us up.”
They all stared at him in amazement.
“Are you quite sure that we are not sinking?” the Ladybug asked.
“Of course I’m sure,” answered James.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You must be crazy! You can’t eat the ship! It’s the only thing that is keeping us up!”
“We shall starve to death if we don’t!” said the Centipede.
“And we shall drown if we do!” cried the Earthworm.
[...]
“You can eat all you want,” James answered. It would take us weeks and weeks to make any sort of a dent in this enormous peach. Surely you can see that?”
“Good heavens, he’s right again!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, clapping his hands.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19
Quotes
“Is there nothing we can do?” asked the Ladybug, appealing to James. “Surely you can think of a way out of this.”
Suddenly they were all looking at James.
“Think!” begged Miss Spider. “Think, James, think!”
“Come on,” said the Centipede. “Come on, James. There must be something we can do.”
Their eyes waited upon him, tense, anxious, pathetically hopeful.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21
Quotes
“Action stations!” James shouted. “Jump to it! There’s not a moment to lose!” He was the captain now, and everyone knew it. They would do whatever he told them.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25
Quotes
“But what about you, Miss Spider?” asked James. “Aren’t you also much loved in the world?”
“Alas, no,” Miss Spider answered, sighing long and loud. “I am not loved at all. And yet I do nothing but good. All day long I catch flies and mosquitos in my webs. I am a decent person.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37
Quotes
“Don’t be frightened of us, please!” James called out. “We are so glad to be here!”
“What about those others beside you?” shouted the Chief of Police. “Are any of them dangerous?”
“Of course they’re not dangerous!” James answered. “They’re the nicest creatures in the world! Allow me to introduce them to you one by one and then I’m sure you will believe me.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire James and the Giant Peach LitChart as a printable PDF.
Miss Spider Quotes in James and the Giant Peach
The James and the Giant Peach quotes below are all either spoken by Miss Spider or refer to Miss Spider. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 13
Quotes
Already, he was beginning to like his new friends very much. They were not nearly as terrible as they looked. In fact, they weren’t really terrible at all. They seemed extremely kind and helpful in spite of all the shouting and arguing that went on between them.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17
Quotes
“But my dear friends!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, trying to be cheerful, “we are there!”
“Where?” they asked. “Where? Where is there?”
“I don’t know, the Old-Green-Grasshopper said. “But I’ll bet it’s somewhere good.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
“None of us three girls can swim a single stroke.”
“But you won’t have to swim,” said James calmly. “We are floating beautifully. And sooner or later a ship is bound to come along and pick us up.”
They all stared at him in amazement.
“Are you quite sure that we are not sinking?” the Ladybug asked.
“Of course I’m sure,” answered James.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“You must be crazy! You can’t eat the ship! It’s the only thing that is keeping us up!”
“We shall starve to death if we don’t!” said the Centipede.
“And we shall drown if we do!” cried the Earthworm.
[...]
“You can eat all you want,” James answered. It would take us weeks and weeks to make any sort of a dent in this enormous peach. Surely you can see that?”
“Good heavens, he’s right again!” cried the Old-Green-Grasshopper, clapping his hands.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19
Quotes
“Is there nothing we can do?” asked the Ladybug, appealing to James. “Surely you can think of a way out of this.”
Suddenly they were all looking at James.
“Think!” begged Miss Spider. “Think, James, think!”
“Come on,” said the Centipede. “Come on, James. There must be something we can do.”
Their eyes waited upon him, tense, anxious, pathetically hopeful.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21
Quotes
“Action stations!” James shouted. “Jump to it! There’s not a moment to lose!” He was the captain now, and everyone knew it. They would do whatever he told them.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25
Quotes
“But what about you, Miss Spider?” asked James. “Aren’t you also much loved in the world?”
“Alas, no,” Miss Spider answered, sighing long and loud. “I am not loved at all. And yet I do nothing but good. All day long I catch flies and mosquitos in my webs. I am a decent person.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37
Quotes
“Don’t be frightened of us, please!” James called out. “We are so glad to be here!”
“What about those others beside you?” shouted the Chief of Police. “Are any of them dangerous?”
“Of course they’re not dangerous!” James answered. “They’re the nicest creatures in the world! Allow me to introduce them to you one by one and then I’m sure you will believe me.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
