Heroes and Villains

In The Silence of the Lambs I’m reading about one of the most infamous villains to date, Hannibal Lecter. He is the quintessential villain, whose story you could piece into the pattern of a villain archetype’s journey. But Hannibal Lecter is different, because not only is he a vicious and cunning serial killer, but he also happens to be very likable. I believe that because of this, The Silence of the Lambs has made a lasting impact on readers everywhere. Thomas Harris plays with the reader, makes them impatient for more passages featuring the ever fascinating “Hannibal the Cannibal”. He’s devilish but interesting, psychotic but extremely intelligent. He is probably one of the most faceted and developed characters I have ever read about.

The relationship that Clarice the protagonist, and Dr. Lecter is very strange, but their relationship greatly contributes to the major success of the novel. Clarice is again, the typical hero, haunted by a troubling childhood, but uses her strife as motivation to help others. All she wants to do is become a successful agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As only a trainee, she is faced with the dangerous task of getting information about “Buffalo Bill” –current serial murderer extraordinaire- from someone who knows a lot about the business of killing innocent people, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal’s likableness comes into play when Clarice Starling first visits him. He may be evil, but he helps her. This is one of the only books I have read that features a villain and a hero successfully working together. Because of this, the book is very dynamic, and a great read for anyone looking for a thrill.