Hannibal

Why is Hannibal Lecter particularly drawn to Clarice Starling? Does she simply remind him of his sister, or is there something else to his interest?

Why are Lecter's tastes so important in distinguishing him from everyone else around him? What purpose does his refined taste serve in how the novel characterizes him?

How does the novel portray the FBI and the Justice Departments as sexist? Are these institutions simply made up of sexist men, or is there something in their structures that is inherently sexist?

Of all the animals that Mason could have theoretically bred to eat a live human, why pigs? Is Mason merely paying tribute to his father, or is there some social meaning that pigs hold that makes Mason’s revenge especially humiliating?

In what ways does the novel justify violence? Is all violence justified, or are there criteria that violence must meet to be defensible?

Is Mischa’s death an acceptable reason or excuse for Lecter’s crimes, or is there something inherently evil about Lecter that cannot be understood?

Margot and Mason Verger shared very similar childhoods but emerged as very different people. How do their conflicting personalities explore the themes of Inheritance and Generational Trauma and The Relationship between Gender and Revenge?

Paul Krendler is a corrupt official. To what extent does Starling get her revenge against the man who helped destroy her career?