Screaming of the Lambs Symbol
When she was a child, Clarice lived on a farm and was kept awake all night by the screaming of the lambs being slaughtered in the barn. She still hears the lambs screaming in her dreams and still feels guilty that she could not save them. Dr Lecter interprets her dream and tells her that the screaming of the lambs symbolizes her feelings of powerlessness when it comes to finding Buffalo Bill and the fact that she did not manage to save any of the women he has kidnapped and murdered. She cannot save them, and the lambs going to the slaughtered symbolize the women going to the slaughter at the hands of the as-yet unidentified serial killer.
Silence of the Lambs Symbol
Dr Lecter tells Clarice that when she manages to identify Buffalo Bill and prevent him from killing anyone else, the screaming of the lambs in her dreams will stop and their silence will symbolize the release of her guilt; she will have regained her power and that is why she will not hear them anymore. The silence of the lambs will symbolize that no more women will go to Buffalo Bill like lambs to the slaughter, thanks to Clarice.
Buffalo Bill's Nickname Symbol
Wild Bill Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, was renowned for killing and skimming his prey and this is also what the unidentified serial killer does to the women he kidnaps. The nickname that has been given to him, Buffalo Bill, is a symbol of this modus operandi and of the brutal way in which he hunts, kills and skins his victims.
Women's Skin Symbol
Buffalo Bill identifies as a woman and so to him the act of wearing the skin of his female victims is a symbol of putting on their womanhood and becoming a woman. Although the clothing he wears gives him the appearance of femininity this symbolizes to him the act of pretending to be female; wearing the skin of a woman symbolizes his actually becoming one.
Gender Identity Motif
One of the novel's themes is gender stereotyping and the Motif of gender identity is present throughout the book in its characters. Clarice Starling is a woman in a traditionally male-dominated world and although it is intimated that she is a gay female, her gender identity is nonetheless key to her relationships with Dr. Lecter and Dr. Chilton. Buffalo Bill (who is referred to as "he/him/his" in the book) is suspected to have been raised and perceived as a cisgender male but secretly identifies as a woman, even attempting to apply for sex reassignment surgery but is rejected. The years of presumed distress of his mis-matching appearance to identity and the rejected surgery application precipitates his murderous activities. Dr Chilton is a stereotypical "red blooded male" and demonstrates this by both demeaning and disrespecting Clarice and hitting on her in a way that is not dissimilar to the way in which sexual deviant prisoner Miggs behaves. Each of these characters' behaviors and actions are inspired by their gender identity and their comfort level with it.
