Killer Gumb in Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs" Analytical Essay by Lady Sleuth
Killer Gumb in Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs"
Uses Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes' typology for a serial killer to classify the behavior of protagonist Jame Gumb from Thomas Harris' novel "The Silence of the Lambs".
# 147459
| 1,070 words
| 2 sources
| MLA
| 2011
| 
Published
on Apr 12, 2011
in
Literature
(American)
, English
(Analysis)
, Psychology
(Theory)
, Criminology
(General)
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Description:
This paper first explains that Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes in their book "Serial Murder" provides an understanding of the phenomenon of serial killing or sequential killing by identifying four separate types of serial killers. Next, the author evaluates the behavior of serial killer protagonist Jame Gumb, from the novel "The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris, to conclude if Gumb is a visionary, mission, hedonistic/lust or a power/control killer. The paper concludes that Gumb is a hedonistic or lust type killer, who also has some traits similar to the power and control type killer.
From the Paper:
"Also important in this analysis is that Gumb seems to enjoy the act of selecting and then stalking his victims. He is careful and considers many things in selecting the method by which he will take them. Most strikingly, to him they are not humans, but means to an end. He does not consider their pain or their families, only what they have that he wants--their skin. It is the pleasure that he takes in hunting them, in starving them to achieve his end and then finally the enjoyment he takes in the act of killing them that lends itself to the theory that perhaps Jame Gumb was a hedonistic or lust type killer."Sample of Sources Used:
- Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes. Serial Murder. Third Edition. Sage Publications, Inc. 2009.
- Thomas Harris. The Silence of the Lambs. St. Martin's. 1991.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Killer Gumb in Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs" (2011, April 12)
Retrieved June 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/killer-gumb-in-harris-the-silence-of-the-lambs-147459/
MLA Format
"Killer Gumb in Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs"" 12 April 2011.
Web. 07 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/killer-gumb-in-harris-the-silence-of-the-lambs-147459/>