Gender and arachnophobia

Sir, – I have always felt sure that no matter how dominant women become there will still be a role for men because women and girls are afraid of spiders.

Yesterday my four-year-old granddaughter summoned me to the garden because there was a “baby spider” on her dress. I donned my cape and rushed to her rescue, thinking that she would remember my heroism as I sink into doddering incoherence, only to be ordered in her best princess voice “Don’t touch it, it’s cute.”

Finally, at 63, I am beginning to feel a niggle of the role confusion so dear to a certain element of the chattering classes. – Yours, etc,

TOM FARRELL,

READ MORE

Hawthorn Park,

Swords,

Co Dublin