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Jack Crawford
Dr. Chilton is the head of the Baltimore Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He is a bitter, rude, and lonely man driven by his ego. Although he is kind to Starling initially, it is only because he is sexually interested in her. When Starling does not reciprocate his advances, he shuts down and acts like a child. Throughout the novel, Chilton is constantly a thorn in Starling’s side. Chilton does not help her when she asks, and he tells Lecter when she lies to him. Additionally, Chilton is the primary figure responsible for allowing Lecter to escape. He takes Lecter to Tennessee and does not take proper security measures. As a result, Lecter kills several people and becomes a free man.
Dr. Chilton Quotes in The Silence of the Lambs
The The Silence of the Lambs quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Chilton or refer to Dr. Chilton. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 27 Quotes
“I hadn’t heard your voice in years—I suppose the last time was when you gave me all the misleading answers in my interviews and then ridiculed me in your Journal articles. It’s hard to believe an inmate’s opinions could count for anything in the professional community, isn’t it?”
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Chapter 59 Quotes
From Dr. Frederick Chilton, the National Tattler bought the tapes of Starling’s interview with Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The Tattler expanded on their conversations for their “Bride of Dracula” series and implied that Starling had made frank sexual revelations to Lecter in exchange for information, spurring an offer to Starling from Velvet Talks: The Journal of Telephone Sex.
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Dr. Chilton Character Timeline in The Silence of the Lambs
The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Chilton appears in The Silence of the Lambs. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where she has a conversation with Dr. Frederick Chilton, the man in charge of overseeing Hannibal Lecter. As Starling speaks with Chilton in his...
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Suddenly, Chilton’s demeanor changes, and he acts like he does not have time for Starling. He tells...
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Together, Starling and Chilton make their way through the mental institution. On the way to Lecter’s cell, Chilton shows...
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When they get to the section of the institution containing Lecter’s cell, Starling asks Chilton if she can go the rest of the way on her own. She knows Lecter...
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Chapter 19
...warns her to make sure she does not say anything about the case to Dr. Chilton. Instead, Starling should tell Chilton she is working on resolving the Raspail case, which, as...
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Chapter 21
When Starling arrives at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Chilton is waiting for her in his office. Starling tells Chilton she is still investigating what...
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Chilton expresses annoyance because Starling treats him like a doorman. He tells her he has better...
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Chapter 27
...orderlies finish inspecting Lecter’s cell, Barney rolls him back inside, his restraints still in place. Chilton sits on Lecter’s bed and tells him that tonight is the first time he has...
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Chilton tells Lecter that the deal Starling mentioned is completely fake. He knows this because he...
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Then, Chilton reveals the deal he made with Senator Martin. If the FBI finds Catherine alive, Chilton...
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Chapter 28
...the director of the FBI, who tells him about what has been going on between Chilton, Senator Martin, and Lecter. Crawford is annoyed and wary about what might happen, but he...
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Chapter 29
Chilton and his men prepare Lecter to travel to Tennessee. Barney travels with Lecter in an...
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As soon as he is away from Lecter, Barney finds Chilton and warns him to make sure local law enforcement in Tennessee knows what they are...
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Chapter 30
Crawford places a phone call to Starling to talk about the new developments in the Chilton and Lecter deal. Crawford’s call is the first time Starling hears about what happened, and...
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Chapter 31
When Starling sees Crawford, she is still fuming over Chilton. She suggests charging him with obstruction of justice, but Crawford does not think that would...
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...sees Barney. She calls him over, irritated because she thinks he knew about the bug Chilton planted. Barney assures her he did not know Chilton’s plan and expresses his concern about...
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Chapter 32
After her phone call with Crawford, Senator Martin meets Chilton and Lecter in an office. Chilton takes off Lecter’s hockey mask, which gives Senator Martin...
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Chapter 35
...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...
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...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...
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Chapter 36
After Chilton takes Starling away from Lecter, he is left once again with only Pembry and Boyle....
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Chapter 39
When Crawford gets off the phone, he reveals he was speaking to Chilton. He tells Starling about Lecter’s incredible escape. Evidently, he wore part of Pembry’s face, which...
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Chapter 42
...He learns that the piece of metal Lecter used as a handcuff key came from Chilton’s hospital. Additional investigations also turned up a note from Lecter to Chilton in Lecter’s old...
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Chapter 59
...on the case, Starling believes Lecter would have led her to Gumb as promised, had Chilton not intervened. The media is mixed on its portrayal of Starling. Some lowbrow outlets suggest...
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Chapter 61
...on room service. While he waits, he writes letters to a number of people, including Chilton, Barney, and Starling. Lecter knows that his fake identity will be ready soon, at which...
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...tone. The letter to Barney is warm and contains a gift. Meanwhile, the letter to Chilton is a threat meant to frighten him. His letter to Starling is the most intimate....
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