Lecter in his Memphis cell.
[UPDATE 4/18/11: There are now links to videos taken from this analysis, at the left-hand side of the screen (under 'Links').]
If you are a newcomer to my analysis of The Silence of the Lambs, you can either view the 'hidden plot' explanation beginning with part 11, you can start with the 'basic' analysis of the movie, which begins with part 1, or you can view the table of contents to the analysis here. Starting with
part 21, I began a more 'abstract' study.
In part 74 we observed that one of the IMDB* "goofs" for the movie is that the F.B.I.'s biologists identify the moth Starling brought them as being a member of the species Acherontia styx, from Asia, whereas the moth shown on the movie's poster is Acherontia atropos, from the Mediterranean or Middle East. If we analyze the names of these species, perhaps we can determine with more certainty what is going on with the moths in the movie.
The Acheron is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. In ancient Greek mythology, Acheron was known as the river of pain, and was one of the rivers of the Greek underworld. In the Homeric poems the Acheron was described as a river of Hades. The river Styx was a river in Greek mythology which formed the boundary between Earth and Hades. It circles the Underworld nine times. The rivers Styx, Phlegethon, Acheron, and Cocytus all converge at the center of the underworld on a great marsh. Based on the foregoing, it makes sense for Gumb to have at least considered using Acherontia styx, since he is Satan's pupil.
Also from Greek mythology, Atropos was one of the three Moirae, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta. Atropos was the oldest of the Three Fates, and was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable". It was Atropos who chose the mechanism of death and ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread with her "abhorred shears". She worked along with her two sisters, Clotho, who spun the thread, and Lachesis, who measured the length. It makes sense for Gumb to use Acherontia atropos, since he is a tailor.
What may have happened is that, as stated earlier, Lecter was expecting Gumb to use butterflies, from Suriname. Gumb decided to use moths instead, and 'disguised' a shipment of styx from Asia as a shipment from Suriname, a country in South America that is known for its butterflies. When the shipment was intercepted by customs, Gumb realized that he could not use that path anymore, so he changed to atropos (which, as I stated above, can come from the Mediterranean or Middle East).
[UPDATE 8/10/11: In addition to representing Hermes Trismegistus, Hannibal Lecter also represents the Wandering Jew, who was also referred to by Carl Jung as the 'Eternal Jew' (in Jung's Symbols of Transformation). The trailer for The Silence of the Lambs - Inside Story documentary (a program which was shown in 2010 on the Biography Channel), says that Clarice "makes a deal with the Devil" to catch Gumb. This is obviously a reference to the 'quid pro quo' arrangement between Starling and Lecter, so it appears Harris is depicting the Wandering Jew as representing some kind of ultimate evil. If Lecter ever does, at any point, become the Antichrist, it's probably not until after his 'resurrection' in the ambulance in Memphis. This resurrection ultimately represents a form of rebirth - see my 'unified analysis' of the Lecter series of movies for the details.]
[If you are only viewing the 'hidden plot' explanation, which began in part 11 of this analysis, continue on to part 27 of the 'unified' analysis of the Lecter series of movies, by clicking here.]
We have now come to the end of the analysis, this is as far as I want to take it. [UPDATE 8/28/10: The analysis of The Silence of the Lambs is now extended, in the 'unified analysis' of the Lecter series of movies; contained therein are discussions on some of the topics covered in the videos but not in this Silence of the Lambs analysis, such as Jungian psychological analyses of Lecter and Starling, depiction of alchemical processes in the movie, the chakras, etc. For final resolution of the SOTL hidden plot, see part 27, part 30, part 54, and part 65 of the unified analysis.] The reader may want to explore further into topics we have not fully investigated, such as the movie's representation of the biblical abyss and the 'levels' above it (see St. Augustine), or to what extent the characters represent Greek or Roman gods and goddesses.
Finally, I have no doubt that movie-goers who are more familiar than I am with the Bible or Medieval philosophy can find things I've missed.
[UPDATE 7/7/11: According to imdb.com, the moths used in the movie are actually Tobacco horn worm moths, carefully 'disguised' to look like Acherontia atropos (Death's-head Hawkmoths).]
*The Internet Movie Database website.
