“Survival of the Fittest” in “Silence of the Lambs”
In “The Silence of the Lambs,” animal imagery is used to compare the different characteristics of Clarice Starling and Buffalo Bill, portraying the proper way to survive in society according to Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest.” Darwin’s theory suggests that those who are able to adjust to their given environment survive better. It is easier to change oneself and behave according to society’s expectations than to change the ways of society to fit the needs of an individual. Society is just too complex for it to change for one person and it would be impossible. The film suggest that not only is it important to adjust to the outer surroundings, but it is equally important to adjust within the inside as well. Clarice, who is able to overcome her tragic childhood, succeeds in her environment with the role that society gives her and Buffalo Bill, who tries to deceive who he really is, does not survive.
Clarice and Buffalo Bill’s character is symbolically displayed by animals. Clarice’s last name, “Starling,” can be related to a type of bird. Starlings are small, very commonly found birds. They have the ability to change its color in order to adopt in different environments. In addition they have the quality in which most birds acquire since birth - flying. Their diet is very simple and, they have the flexibility to survive both in the country setting as well as the city setting. Buffalo Bill’s character is portrayed by the Deathhead moths. Moths start out as unpleasant caterpillars that are preyed upon by birds. They undergo through a process called metamorphosis and eventually transform into a creature considered very beautiful. With her small physicality, Clarice has good mobility and an advantage of easily blending into her surroundings. Her ability to think and move quickly helps her in solving Buffalo Bill’s case. People are willing to share their information with her. Clarice’s appearance is not intimidating or authoritative and people do not feel obliged to obey her in any way. Clarice has an image that does not stand out in a crowd, but it is friendly so that people feel comfortable cooperating with her. Buffalo Bill, like the moths, has two different identities: an identity hidden in the inside, which relates to the cocoon, and an identity he displays on the outside, which relates to the caterpillar. Many times we don’t make the connection of caterpillars with moths because they don’t look anything alike. It is very deceiving to observe that something so ugly can transform into something very pretty. Buffalo Bill starts out as an unpleasant caterpillar attempting to go through a transformation to look more beautiful like the moths. His homosexuality forces him to desire something that exceeds from his boundaries, even his gender. His desire to change who he is causes him to victimize innocent lives of women so that he can hide his ugliness under the purity of their skin. The colorfulness of the moths can symbolize how Buffalo Bill cries for attention. He has been hiding in his cocoon too long and thus, he develops the tendency to wear colorful make-up to show that he wants people to notice him and that he wants to stand out from the crowd.
