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 meets Crawford outside the funeral home where he recently dropped off Bella’s body. She asks Crawford if he will send her to Ohio so she can have one last go at the case. Crawford wants to continue pursuing the case but worries about what will happen to Starling. He doesn’t want her to get recycled, which could temporarily railroad her promising career. Starling tells Crawford that she does not care about being recycled. To her, it is worth the risk to pursue the case until Catherine’s situation gets resolved one way or the other. Ultimately, Crawford gives Starling the go-ahead to travel to Ohio. Starling’s determination reminds him of Bella, which causes him to openly weep after she leaves.
There is a sharp contrast between Starling’s defeated attitude at the end of the last chapter and her newfound determination at the beginning of this one. If she is nothing else, Starling is resilient, and she refuses to abandon the Buffalo Bill case until it is over. At this point, Starling could care less about her career and being recycled. She has confidence in herself that she will overcome any career hurdle. However, she will never forgive herself if she does not pursue the Buffalo Bill case until the end.
Themes
