Vampires, werewolves, zombies are all creatures of famous Gothic books or movies. “But as real life is quick to remind us, the most terrifying monster is a man.” (Whale) The frightening character of The Silence of the Lambs, Buffalo Bill was inspired by a real life serial killer, Edward Gein.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein
Ed Gein was born in Wisconsin in 1906, he grew up with an alcoholic father and a controlling mother. He was excessively obsessed with his mother and it was following her death in 1945 that he became increasingly disturbed. Then, he began working as a handyman and, “despite his odd behaviour, as a babysitter.” (Biography.com) He began to frequent the Plainfield bar when a number people in his community began to be reported missing. It was in 1957 when Bernice Worden was reported missing that Ed Gein’s murders were discovered by the authorities. Bernice Worden was found hanging from Ed Gein’s house headless. With further investigation, they discovered Gein also had “organs in jars and skulls used as soup bowls.” (Biography.com) He also had “furniture and a lampshade made of human flesh, and masks and a full body “suit” carefully fashioned from the skin of his victims.” (Whale) When questioned by the authorities, he admitted to the killing Bernice Worden as well as Mary Hogan three years earlier. He was declared insane at the time of the murder and he was committed to the Central State Hospital.
Buffalo Bill is very similar to this particular serial killer as he too was obsessed with his mother. In fact, in chapter 46, more precisely pages 282 and 283, Jame Gumb watches clips of his mother in a beauty contest. They both had disturbing childhoods, in fact when Hannibal explains to Clarice how to track down Buffalo Bill in the records of those rejected for sex reassignment he specifies, “look for severe childhood disturbances associated with violence.” (Harris 169) Both Gein and Bill targeted women victims and both made a body “suit” out of the victims.
Therefore, Gein and Buffalo Bill are quite similar in multiple aspects. A real-life Buffalo Bill is quite scary to imagine. What do you think of Edward Gein? Do you think he should have gone to prison instead of being committed to Central State Hospital? Do you think Buffalo Bill would have ended up in mental health hospital as well if he would have lived or do you think he would have gone to prison?
Works Cited
Whale, Chase. “The Real Buffalo Bill Serial Killer: Ed Gein.” SerialKillerShop, https://serialkillershop.com/blogs/true-crime/real-buffalo-bill-ed-gein. Accessed 17 April 2018.
“Ed Gain Biography.” Biography.com, https://www.biography.com/people/ed-gein-11291338. Accessed 17 April 2018.
Tania
Harris, Thomas. The Silence of the Lambs. St-Martin. St-Martin Paperbacks, 1989.
The Five Star Killers 