Silence of the Lambs - Narrative Theory

Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites

Good v Evil - Hannibal and Clarice or Buffalo Bill and Clarice

Man v Woman - Clarice v Buffalo Bill or Hannibal

Independence v Dependence - Clarice is dependent on Hannibal to find Buffalo Bill, she needs his help. Hannibal was independent, he used his own wits and brain power to survive and escape.

Cage v Freedom - Hannibal was literally stuck in a cage whilst Clarice was free on the outside.

Deception v Honesty - Hannibal deceives everyone when he escapes and he was deceived by Clarice and her boss. Yet Clarice is honest to him about her childhood and Hannibal is honest to her about how to find Buffalo Bill using the case file.

Death v Survival - All of Buffalo Bills victims died apart from the last girl who Clarice was able to save. Most of the people that came in to contact with Hannibal died except Clarice.


Todorov - Narrative structure

Equilibrium - Clarice training to become an FBI agent. Hannibal safely locked away for the past 8 years.

Disruptions - Buffalo Bill killing women and leaving their bodies in rivers where they are found. Clarice decieves Hannibal and he moves to a new place of entrapment.

Resolution - Clarice finds Buffalo Bill and kills him with help from Hannibal saving what would have been Buffalo Bill's latest victim.

New Equilibrium - Hannibal free and on the loose. Clarice is made an FBI agent .


Barthes - Action and enigma codes

Action

• Conversation where Dr. Chilton describes Hannibal to Clarice
• Hannibal with the small piece of metal in his hand
• Girl singing in the car
• Doorbell ringing
• Hannibal removing skin of dead police officer
• Hannibal on the phone to Clarice watching Dr. Chilton

Enigma

• Clarice being called in to see her boss
• Hannibal asking about what Migs said to her
• Hannibal asking about Clarice's childhood
• Shown the pencil on the bed
• The cocoon in the victims mouth
• Girl singing and driving in the car
• Migs talking to Clarice
• Flashback scenes

Propp - Character Types

Antagonist - Buffalo Bill/ Hannibal

Protagonist - Clarice

Helper - Dr Jack Crawford/ Ardelia Mapp

Donor - Hannibal

Dispatcher - Dr Jack Crawford

Father figure - Dr Jack Crawford

False Hero - Dr Jack Crawford