Why the Moth?

Thomas Harris’ intense novel, Silence of the Lambs, presents the reader with many motifs and symbols. The most discussed of these symbols is the moth. The murderer Buffalo Bill, a.k.a Mister Hyde, a.k.a Jame Gumb, is known to place a peculiar variety of moth, the Acherontia Atropos, or death’s head moth, in his victim’s throats. This leads us to wonder why he would do something like this and why choose a moth. Firstly, we must discuss our dear friend Bill. He decided to start killing women when he was refused access to a gender reassignment clinic. His goal in these butcheries was to take parts of their skin to wear and turn himself into a beautiful woman. Sounds crazy right? Of course, Bill was not what one would call a rational thinker. He seemed to develop a notion that the only thing that differentiated him from womankind was the outside shell. The surface. The skin. The cocoon. In that case, what better creature than the moth? This insect represents change. Change is the one thing Bill truly desires. With deeper analysis, the more subtle meanings of what the moth signifies are brought to the light. Starting anew and rebirth are also attributed to these changelings. It could be possible that deep down Bill does feel a slight amount of remorse and guilt and that placing the insects inside his victims helps alleviate this pressure. After all, we do know that he is capable of some form of emotion as he clearly loves his little dog, precious. Now, you might be wondering why the moth, instead of a butterfly? This question pinpoints the more delicate nuances sewn into the story by Harris. A butterfly brings forth images of beauty, life, day, change, second chances, etc. The moth primarily epitomizes Bill, but it can also be seen as an embodiment of the other characters. For example, moths also represent wisdom of the other world, knowledge, darkness, clairvoyance, and secrecy. These traits can all be witnessed in Hannibal Lecter. This reflection makes sense as these two “men” share certain macabre qualities, namely, the fact that they are murderers.