Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Silence of the Lambs, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Sexism and Law Enforcement
The Nature of Evil
Class and Shame
Manipulation
Summary
Analysis
Starling ignores Krendler’s orders and instead drives to the Memphis courthouse, where the Tennessee authorities are imprisoning Lecter in a makeshift cell. When she pulls up to the building, Starling immediately realizes that Chilton has turned the whole investigation into a circus; the media is everywhere, as are the police. Starling walks into the courthouse and presents herself as one of Krendler’s agents. She tells the officer on duty that she has come to see Lecter on the orders of both Krendler and Chilton. She hopes that uttering both names one after the other will scare the officers into not checking her claims. Luckily, she guesses right.
Starling’s decision to drive to the Memphis courthouse demonstrates her willingness to sacrifice her career to pursue the case. She knows Krendler could take her job away if he found out what she is doing, but she goes anyway. Unfortunately, security at the courthouse is not as secure as it should be, given that it is guarding a notorious serial killer. Starling waltzes right through without anyone checking her credentials. If Starling can easily get through security, there is no telling what Lecter could do.
Themes
An escort leads Starling to the elevator and shows her to the floor where they are holding Lecter. On the floor, Starling finds two officers in charge of watching over him. She assures the officers she has dealt with Lecter before and knows all the appropriate safety protocols. This puts the men at ease, and they allow her to speak with him.
Again, Lecter’s security is not up to snuff; Starling manages to access him easily. Of course, on the one hand, it is good that Starling can reach Lecter without it costing her career. However, it is also dangerous and foolish on the behalf of Chilton and Tennessee law enforcement.
Themes
When, at last, Starling is in front of Lecter again, she tells him that she thinks he lied to Senator Martin about Buffalo Bill’s identity. Lecter does not deny the accusation but also refuses to give Starling any further information. He is angry that she lied to him about the deal and tells her that if she wants more information on Buffalo Bill then she will have to find it herself.
Lecter is still human despite everything, and he takes Starling’s betrayal to heart. He trusted her, and he does not like that she took advantage of that trust. As such, she will likely have to give up more than she would like in order to learn Buffalo Bill’s identity.
Themes
Eventually, Starling convinces Lecter to give her more information, but not before telling him more about her past. She finishes the story she started the last time they spoke. She recalls waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone slaughtering lambs. The lambs’ cries made Starling realize that the horse she loved was about to be slaughtered, so she stole it and ran away. Eventually, she ended up at an orphanage where she lived for some time along with the horse. Later, the horse died of old age. Although Starling is happy she saved the horse, she still dreams of the lambs' cries.
This section of the novel is where the title comes from. The lambs are a symbol of innocence, which Starling wants to protect at all costs. She abhors needless suffering, and she joined the FBI to protect innocent people. In her mind, she connects the lambs with Buffalo Bill’s victims. People shear lambs for their wool, just as Buffalo Bill kills his victims for their skin. The cries Starling hears in her sleep are innocent victims calling out to her, begging for her help.
Themes
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As always, Lecter respects Starling's honesty and vulnerability. Her pain excites him, and he once again appears willing to help her with her case. However, before he can say anything, Chilton arrives and drags her away from Lecter. Just before she leaves, Starling takes her case file back from Lecter, who asks her to continue to tell him about her dreams. He wants to know if the lambs will ever stop shrieking.
Lecter feeds off of Starling’s pain, and he decides she was vulnerable enough for him to forgive her. Lecter’s question about whether the lambs will stop shrieking is one that the novel will return to. Presumably, the lambs will stop their cries if Starling manages to rescue Catherine. However, if she does not, then their cries will go on.
Themes
