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Silence of the Lambs & Psychology

In Jonathan Demme’s The Silence Of The Lambs we are treated to two serial killers, one of the most difficult to diagnose and treat psychological disorders affecting mankind. Serial killers like Hannibal “the cannibal” Lecter and “Buffalo Bill” share many traits in common, but make up an extremely small percentage of the human population. Serial killers are usually diagnosed as having antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy, sociopathy, or dyssocial personality disorder). The two serial killers portrayed in The Silence Of The Lambs are psychopaths, “psychopaths use charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and satisfy their own selfish needs. Lacking in conscience and feelings for others, they cold-bloodedly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest guilt or regret. Although their numbers are small-perhaps 1% of the population-psychopaths account for a large proportion of the serious crime, violence, and social distress in every society” (Hare 1).

One of the biggest traits of the psychopath is their inability to empathize with human feelings or emotions. In the film, the Senator, whose daughter is kidnapped by Buffalo Bill, makes a please on television for the killer to spare her daughter’s life. The FBI agents, like Clarice Starling, comment on how well she gives her plea because she does so in a manner that tries to get the killer to view her daughter as a living, human being and not an object. This is one of the hallmarks of serial killers-they do not see any difference between a human and a lifeless object, “Serial killers can’t psychologically tell the difference between an inanimate object and a human being because they usually don’t go through the infant psychological growth stage called ‘individuation’, in which they realize they’re independent from their environment” (Characteristics 1). We s...

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Silence of the Lambs & Psychology. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 18:00, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1686307.html