[Thulorongil]

One thing that strikes me is the major shift that occurs during this chapter. It begins with "Gollum in front and the hobbits now side by side," but finishes with Sam running after him having "forgotten everything else but the red hot fury in his brain and the desire to kill Gollum." This simple shift between just these two paragraphs highlights the changes that almost all the separated characters are experiencing in their respective situations. Théoden has talked with Ghan-buri-Ghan and is preparing to ride to the Pelennor, Faramir's troops are retreating, and Aragorn is at Pelargir. The shift in Frodo and Sam's events is brought about by their characteristically distinct, but equally noteworthy, actions, which also ties in to that first paragraph.

It would be interesting to know, from anyone better-versed than me in older and classical literature, if before Tolkien the spider was a common element and symbol of writing for secrecy, evil, and dread. It certainly is now, and my question is if Shelob and Ungoliant helped to spurn the idea.

I also need to say that I love the idea that for most of their journey, Frodo and Sam's greatest fear and danger has been being seen, and here, where it at first seems to them that they will be able to finally be able to creep unnoticed through the dark, the monster appears in the form of "the dreadful stare of those baleful...monstrous and abominable eyes."