Previous
Chapter 31
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
Lecter lands in Memphis for his meeting with Senator Martin. The Senator watches him get wheeled off the plane. He is still fully restrained, with a hockey mask placed over his face to prevent biting. Before Senator Martin gets a chance to speak with Lecter, she receives a call from Crawford. Crawford urges her to refrain from speaking with Lecter. He knows Lecter will only try to get in her head and play games. When she refuses, Crawford tries to convince her to at least wait for Starling to arrive in Memphis. However, she plans to talk to Lecter immediately.
Crawford knows that Senator Martin has no idea who she is dealing with. Lecter will easily be able to manipulate Senator Martin if he wishes. She will not be able to see through his lies, and he will get whatever he wants out of her. However, Senator Martin knows time is running short on her daughter’s life, so she makes the executive decision to ignore Crawford’s advice and speak to Lecter on her own.
Themes
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 some pause. Senator Martin asks Lecter to give her information, and in return, she promises to improve his quality of life. Lecter starts speaking, but soon Major Bachman, an agent of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, interrupts him. The interruption shuts Lecter down, and he refuses to speak again until everyone except Senator Martin leaves the room.
Chilton’s willingness to take off Lecter’s hockey mask does not bode well for the future. Already, he is ignoring vital security protocols that Lecter can and will take advantage of. Meanwhile, Major Bachman’s failed attempt at interrogation also shows how clueless the Tennessee authorities are about who Lecter is and what he is capable of.
Themes
Once alone with Senator Martin, Lecter asks her if she breastfed Catherine. The question is painful for the Senator, but she answers it honestly. The Senator’s pain makes Lecter happy. Then, Lecter returns to the topic at hand. He tells Senator Martin that she needs to look for William Rubin, one of his former patients. He also provides a physical description, as well as Rubin’s medical history. In return, Senator Martin promises to make Lecter’s stay in Tennessee comfortable. Lecter requests a phone and classical music, which the Senator promises to get him.
Lecter designs his question to the Senator to be off-putting. He knows he is in complete control of the situation, and Senator Martin will put up with whatever he says in order to get information about her daughter. Of course, the name Lecter gives is a lie. The reader already knows Buffalo Bill’s actual name (Jame Gumb), which means Lecter is sending Senator Martin on a wild goose chase, just as Crawford feared he would do.
Themes
