Silence of the Lambs
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 07:17 — pemsley
Category:
Novel
Synopsis:
The FBI faces a case that involves overweight women ending up partially skinned and dead. Department head Jack Crawford uses protagonist Clarice Starling to get to incarcerated Hannibal Lecter for possible leads and insight into the case - that is, if they are able to figure out the evidence and the identity of the "Buffalo Bill" murderer. Notable events include the finding of the actual evidence (a head in a jar and a moth chrysalis found in a victim's throat), a kidnapping, tense negotiation, gunfire, and the escape of Dr. Lecter.
Context for time depicted:
This takes place in the 1980s perhaps mid-80s if one is to take into account that it takes a few years to write and publish a book (the book is copyrighted 1988) even if it is placed in general "modern times." At this time such things as Prozac, AIDS and the Insanity Defense came into (legally recognized) existence. In 1986, in the Supreme Court cas Ford v. Wainwright it was decided that the insane could not be executed which is why Lecter had not been killed yet (taking that "psychotic" as Lecter had been described is synonymous with insane). In a technological area, compact discs and the PC have been invented. This means that a new variety of tools has been introduced to the world and indeed, to scientists as well forensic or not.
Context for time of production:
As the book was published about the same times as it presumably takes place (copyrighted in 1988, again) some aspects have come to pass (such as Berlin Wall and similar) while the rest of the world has somewhat democratized to have presidents. Interestingly enough, in 1988 the American Psychology Society was founded.
Assessment:
It's arguable about wheter or not Lecter is a scientist at all. Lecter is a scientist by the facts that before being incarcerated he was a psychiatrist (a type of physician, hence the "Dr." prefix) and by his use of psychology allusions, psychology being a definite type of science. As for the novel itself, it is fast paced in its action and slower when focused upon a specific character and/or scene. Science is not a central theme in the novel being more concerned with "catching the bad guy" etc; instead science ends up as more of an asset but an accurate sounding one at that and such applies to the scientists within the novel.
References:
Harris, Thomas. Silence of the Lambs. St. Martin's Paperback: New York, NY, 1988.
The Mastery of Hannibal Lecter. (2003). Daniel Shaw. 9 April 2009. http://www.lhup.edu/dshaw/Mastery.doc
History of Psychology. 2001. WGBH Educational.
The "Wonderfully Scary Monster" and the international reception of horror. (2001-2009). Kinoeye/Ernest Mathijs. 10 April 2009. http://www.kinoeye.org/02/19/mathijs19.php
Chisholm, Jane. Usborne Timelines of World History. New York, USA: Scholastic Inc., 2000.
How would this be used?:
Another source of comparing how the scientist figure has changed since Shelley's Victor Frankenstein and also perhaps noting the change of public reading taste from mild Gothic to "hard-core" horror as thin novel might be defined.
Source of definin "evil" that is a theme within the novel.
Discussion about how science itself can be used ambiguously (rather like a tool), as exemplified as forensic evidence against the criminal and for a criminal, Lecter, when he manipulates psychology to suit his arguments or how evidence in real life might b contorted between defense and prosecuting lawyers.