A Moth and a Lamb

One of the most significant symbols that appears throughout The Silence of the Lambs, in Buffalo Bill’s house and within his victims, are moths and their larvae. The moth itself resembles “[…] transformation/metamorphosis [and the] ability to confuse enemies […]” (Woolcott). Transformation and metamorphism applies to Buffalo Bill, because Buffalo Bill tries to transform into a women by using their skin that he skinned off his victims as a costume to cover his manly figure. Also Buffalo Bill tries to confuse his victims and enemies that he is a normal person, when in fact he is not so innocent. The moths lifespan symbolism includes: “the egg stage is symbolic of the birth of an idea, the larvae stage is the foundation, the chrysalis stage is symbolic of the manifestation, and the growing of wings symbolizes taking flight and exploring uncharted territory” (Woolcott). The birth of an idea (egg) starts when Buffalo Bill realizes the he can use a woman’s skin as a costume. The foundation (larvae embedded in a victim), is the dead body itself, giving Buffalo Bill a starting point to use the skin of a woman as a way to transform his appearence. Manifestation is shown when Buffalo Bill has made several costumes out of women’s skin. Buffalo Bill takes flight and explores unfamiliar territory by capturing many women over and over again; he takes risks that he might not have taken before by becoming more comfortable with the idea of killing and making his transformation complete. Another symbol that gave the film its title is a lamb. A lamb symbolizes “[…] gentleness of character and patience under suffering. It signifies purity, meekness and sacrifice.” (House of Names). Clarice Starling plays the lamb within the film; the audience gets a sense that she is a purely gentle individual. The lambs Clarice remembers from childhood give her a main motive, pointed out by Hannibal, to stop the screaming of the lambs heard within her head by rescuing Catherine Martin, capturing Buffalo Bill, and carrying out her career as a behavioral science unit profiler.