The Silence of The Lambs

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Clarice Starling, a student preparing for a life in the FBI, hunts a serial killer by

use of vague information given to her by an incarcerated psychologist. Hannibal "The

Cannibal" Lecter relays information to Clarice in exchange for information about herself.

The killer, known only as "Buffalo Bill", kidnaps large women, keeps them alive for a

few days, and finally skins them. Clarice works against time as Buffalo Bill takes his

newest victim, a U.S. Senator's daughter, and the countdown to death begins.

"The Silence of the Lambs" was chosen for the title because it is Clarice

Starling's ultimate goal for the bloodcurdling screams of the lambs in her nightmares to

cease. When she was younger, she witnessed the slaughtering of a herd of lambs and to

this day she awakens horrified some nights to escape the nightmares that she so longs to

Julianne Moore as Starling in Hannibal; Lecter is ...

Clarice Starling

Chilton taunts Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

end. She believes deep down that if she catches Buffalo Bill herself she will sleep

soundly in the silence of the lambs.

My first interpretation of Clarice was that she was very bright and observant. She

reads people very well and is quick to make an accurate judgement, as in with Frederick

Chilton, the prison warden. I believed that she was a very strong woman and was very

careful to appear that way to others.

Clarice Starling did have a large change in herself. She began the story with a

careful mentality; a risk would have been unheard of. She was always making sure she

was doing something to the best expectations of someone else. As the story moves on,

she becomes more daring and risk-taking than ever before. From disobeying direct

orders to pursuing a serial killer in his own dungeon of a basement, Clarice is finally

satisfied with herself...