The Silence Of The Lambs

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Visual Analysis”

After reading Harris’s 1988 novel, students will watch a scene from the 1991 film adaptation. Students will then design a slideshow comparing the written scene and the filmed scene. 

Create a slideshow presentation that compares and contrasts elements of the novel with elements of the film. You will create an argument that answers the question, “To what extent do this scene in the novel and this scene in the film offer similar depictions of Gender Bias Against Women in Male-Dominated Fields? How do they do this?”

• Review Chapter 3. Annotate as you read.

○ Underline details about the setting of this chapter.

○ Draw a star next to details about Clarice.

○ Circle details about Hannibal.

○ In the margins, take notes about what this chapter reveals. For instance, what details in this scene create suspense? Does Clarice conform to or defy your expectations for a female protagonist?

• Watch this two-minute clip from the 1991 film adaptation of the novel, directed by Jonathan Demme.

○ Students may find it helpful to refer to this film terms guide from the University of Wisconsin.

○ Jot down your thoughts about how the director, cinematographer, actors, and editor develop the characterization visually.

○ Pay attention to acting, blocking (how the actors are positioned), camera angles, lighting, and editing.

○ Jot down your answer to this question: Does Clarice conform to or defy your expectations for a female protagonist? Does anything about her behavior in this scene surprise you? Is Hannibal surprised?

• Recall our earlier discussion of genre.

○ Identify at least two techniques within Chapter 3 that contribute towards the development of suspense.

○ Identify at least two techniques within the film scene that contribute towards the development of suspense.

○ Jot down your answer to this question: When you encounter a suspenseful text, what are your expectations for female characters? Why are these your expectations?

• Develop your slideshow.

○ Slide 1: Title slide with your name and class information

○ Slide 2: Offer your thesis statement, making an argument about the prompt “To what extent do this scene in the novel and this scene in the film offer similar depictions of Gender Bias Against Women in Male-Dominated Fields? How do they do this?”

○ Slide 3: Analyze tone

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence about the author’s and filmmaker’s uses of tone.

●Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ How does the author use diction and figurative language to establish the tone of the scene?

○ How does the filmmaker use elements such as lighting and narration to establish the tone of the scene?

○ Slide 4: Analyze narration

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence about the author’s and filmmaker’s uses of narration.

● Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ What type of narration does the author use to provide information in this scene?

○ How does the filmmaker use cinematography and camera angles to guide the viewer’s sense of perspective?

○ Slide 5: Analyze structure

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence about the author’s and filmmaker’s uses of structure.

● Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ How does the author use syntax and paragraph structure to create a sense of pace?

○ How does the filmmaker use editing to create a sense of pace?

○ Slide 6: Analyze mise-en-scène

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence about the author’s and filmmaker’s uses of mise-en-scène.

● Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ Mise-en-scène refers to the arrangement of surroundings in a scene. What effect is produced by the juxtaposition of this scene’s setting, characters, and mood?

○ How does this juxtaposition differ between Chapter 3 and its filmed equivalent?

○ Slide 7: Analyze characterization

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence that answers this question: How do tone, narration, structure, and mise-en-scène work together to inform the characterization of Clarice?

● Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ Do these elements function similarly within the text and the film, or are they different? How so?

○ Slide 8: Analyze expectations for female protagonists

■ Offer an argumentative topic sentence that answers this question: Does Clarice conform to or defy your expectations for a female protagonist?

● Things to consider as you develop this topic sentence:

○ How is the depiction of Clarice informed by the medium of the text? How are the novel and film characters different and what do they have in common? How do female characters navigate the male gaze differently in books than films?

Teaching Suggestions: If your students need a refresher/ introduction on the concept of the male gaze, this video offers a quick and helpful overview of the concept.

• If the class has already demonstrated that they do not have the vocabulary to adequately discuss visual representations of women, using Mulvey’s definition of the male gaze will help ground students’ definitions. It may be helpful to return to this video and the examples of comparisons within it when comparing Clarice’s depiction in the novel, film, or comic books. It may also be helpful to ask students to consider which shots of Clarice in the film and comic books are from Hannibal’s perspective and which are from the viewer’s perspective.

After everyone has presented their work, ask students to consider how different depictions inform readers’ understandings of female characters. Did they draw the same conclusions about Clarice based on the text, film, and their own drawings? What role did the medium of depiction play in their expectations for her character?

Differentiation Suggestion: Those with attentional or executive function differences, students who find the film too scary to watch, or others who benefit from different kinds of visual strategies might prefer an activity based on drawing rather than film analysis. Students can create a comic-book-style adaptation of Chapter 3 (ten panels minimum). After drawing their version of Chapter 3, they will analyze their own visual perspective and answer the following questions.

1. How did you establish the tone of this chapter? Consider your use of lighting and shading.

2. How did you establish the narration of this chapter? Consider how you chose what material merited inclusion in your ten panels.

3. How did you establish the mise-en-scène of this chapter? This film term refers to the arrangement of surroundings in a scene. As you drew, what effect did you produce through the placement of characters and the view of the setting? Are all of your panels set up similarly or did you offer different perspectives? How did you decide from which perspectives to draw?

4. Based on your drawings, what is your comic book reader’s impression of Clarice? Is this the same impression of her that you had while reading? If not, how is your depiction of her different from her depiction in the book?

5. Does your drawn Clarice conform to or deny expectations for a female protagonist?