The Silence Of The Lambs

Term Paper Title	The Silence Of The Lambs
# of Words	664
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	2.66

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 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 and could care
what someone else thought.

     �A census taker tried to categorize me once. I ate his liver with some
fava beans and a big amorone� - A quote from the prestigious Dr. Lecter that
must occasionally be recalled to mind to serve as a remi...

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