Critical Perspectives

Dissertation Proposal OGR

By: Greta Mongyik
19/02/2018
Can Silence Of The Lambs be categorised as horror and
is it portraying psychopathy realistically?
 Dissertation Synopsis
This dissertation will talk about horror as a genre,
and focus of on serial killers and psychopaths.
Moving on from horror, the dissertation will explore
on psychology, of both the audience (why are we
interested) and psychopaths/serial killers (what
makes them what they are).
Finally the writing will focus on Silence Of The
Lambs (1991) and discuss what makes the film horror,
does it portrays psychopathy realistically.
 Chapter 1 - Synopsis
Define horror as a huge topic; talk about its history, as it
has appeared not only as films / movies, but novels, books,
music etc. Focus on films and introduce sub-genres and
different categories.
Talk about how audience's interest has moved on from giant
animals and monsters / supernatural to serial killers and
psychopaths.
Move on to explore how we know monsters are not real, but
human insanity and cruelty is, which makes serial killers and
psychopaths scarier, the knowledge of it could happen to
anyone and the unpredictable.
 Chapter 2 - Synopsis
Explain what is / makes a psychopath and how it can be
confused to other terms such as psychotic or sociopath.
Explore on how people can become psychopaths and how it can
be passed down through generations. (Maybe look at some
infamous real life cases.)
Introduce Sigmund Freud's ideas of the mind and personality,
and how people develop. Look into the conscious / unconscious
and Id , Ego and Super-Ego. (focus on Id)
Are all psychopaths killers and dangerous? Why are we
actually watching these movies, what is our fascination with
maniacs, psychopaths, sociopaths and serial killers? Why we
find them scary, why might they be scarier than monsters?
 Chapter 3 - Synopsis
Introduce the film Silence Of The Lambs (1991). Talk about
what it is about and explore on some scenes and characters;
why could it be seen as a horror / thriller movie.
Discuss the character of Hannibal Lecter; is he portraying a
psychopath correctly or rather realistically, or is he
something else? What makes his character fascinating and
terrifying at the same time?
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Stephen T. Asma • Subject/Key Points and potential use:
Discusses history of monsters and what
• Critical Position: Professor of
function they had and will have in the
Philosophy future; explores logic behind them and
• Title: On Monsters: An Unnatural different era's fascination and common
History of Our Worst Fears fears.

• Publisher/Publication: Oxford
University Press • Quotation:

• Place of Publication: Oxford "The term monster is often applied to

human beings who have, by their own
• Date: 2011 horrific actions, abdicated their
• Chapter: 13 – Criminal Monsters: humanity"
Psychopathology, Aggression, and the
Malignant Heart
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Wheeler Winston Dixon
• Title: A History of Horror
• Publisher/Publication: Rutgers
University Press
• Place of Publication: New Jersey
• Date: 2010
• Chapter: 4 – New Blood: 1970-1990
• Subject/Key Points and potential use:
Discusses the horror genre and its
history alongside with origins of
iconic and classic characters, it also
touches on Silence of the Lambs.
• Quotation:
"Horror also became a part of the human
landscape during the late 1970s, '80s,
and '90s, with psychopathic killers
stalking the streets on search of
victims."
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Wayne Wilson
• Critical Position: Professor of
Psychology
• Title: The Psychopath in Film
• Publisher/Publication: University
Press of America
• Place of Publication: New York
• Date: 1999
• Chapter: Materialism: The Power Of
Plenty - Psychopathic Power
• Subject/Key Points and potential use:
Talks about Hannibal Lecter and his power
as a psychopath; and what makes him a
strong.
• Quotation:
"The compleat evil of Hannibal Lecter
(Anthony Hopkins) in the Silence Of the
Lambs (1991) allows him to feel suffused
with power from within: his overwhelming
intelligence;' his considerable charms at
misdirection; his ability to dupe and
distance others from the truth."
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Sigmund Freud
• Critical Position: Neurologist and
the founder of psychoanalysis
• Title: The Ego and the Id
• Publisher/Publication: Norton
• Place of Publication:
• Date: (Originally 1923) 1962
• Chapter: The Ego and the Id (But
other chapters could be very useful
too)
• Subject/Key Points and potential use:
Explores the mind and personality and
discusses the conscious/unconscious, as
well as Id, Ego and Super-Ego.
• Quotation:
"We have said that consciousness is the
surface of the mental apparatus; that is,
we have ascribed it as a function to a
system which is spatially the first one
reached from the external world - and
spatially not only in the functional
sense but, on this occasion, also in the
sense of anatomical dissection."
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Sigmund Freud • Subject/Key Points and potential use:

• Critical Position: Neurologist and Explores and explains psychoanalysis

the founder of psychoanalysis and Freud's theories of dreams, sexual
development, neuroses, and other
• Title: A General Introduction to key aspects of psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis
• Publisher/Publication: Read Books • Quotation:
Ltd
• Place of Publication:
• Date: (Originally 1917) 2014
• Chapter:
 Research Pro-forma
• Author: Yvonne Tasker
• Critical Position: Senior Lecturer
in Film Studies
• Title: The Silence of the Lambs
• Publisher/Publication: British
Film Institute / Palgrave BFI
• Place of Publication: London
• Date: 2002
• Chapter:
• Subject/Key Points and potential use:
Explores the horror and thriller genre
and how they aid to portray insanity and
crime in films. Identifies the audience's
interest of police procedure and serial
killing, madness and belonging.
Furthermore contains great details of the
film and its characters.
• Quotation:
"Lecter's sense of time is palpably
different: both his speech and his
movements are careful and measured."
 Future Research
• John Watson: Behaviourism
• Carl Rogers / Abraham Maslow: Humanism

• Movie Psychos vs The Real Thing: with Dr. James

Fallon
Bibliography
• Asma, Stephen T. (2011). On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our
Worst Fears: Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Dixon, Wheeler W. (2010). A History of Horror: Rutgers University
Press, New Jersey.
• Freud, Sigmund (1962). The Ego and the Id: Norton.
• Freud, Sigmund (2014). A General Introduction to
Psychoanalysis: Read Books Ltd.
• Wilson, Wayne (1999). The Psychopath in Film: University Press of
America, New York.
• Tasker, Yvonne (2002). The Silence of the Lambs: Palgrave BFI, London.