Lambs as metaphor in connection with psychopathic killers

[Benjamin Barrett]

As Martin Kaminer says, derivative or informed by the Bible, and perhaps an extension of that metaphor as well.

In the article, though, the psychopath element is critical. Also, neither the word "innocent" nor "slaughter" is used in the article.

To me, it seems a separate metaphor because it operates to pull the reader (me) back to the movie, not the Bible or the older metaphor.

The URL to the article seems to have become scrambled. Here's an owly version: http://ow.ly/78ZTF

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Oct 25, 2011, at 6:44 PM, victor steinbok wrote:

> Wouldn't this be just an extension of the old metaphor (lambs to a
> slaughter)?
>
> VS-)
>
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 9:27 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>wro=
> te:
>
>>
>> The movie "Silence of the Lambs" (
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_of_the_Lambs) was released in 1991,
>> three years after the novel. In the movie and book, the protagonist relat=
> es
>> to a psychopathic killer (cannibal) a childhood memory in which she tries=
> ,
>> but is unable, to rescue a lamb.
>>
>> The film hit a creepy-note with a lot of people, and it may be that =3D
>> "lambs" is here to stay as a metaphor (for an innocent) in connection to =
> =3D
>> a psychopathic killer.
>>
>> Twenty years late, in the October 24 article "'Dangerous Instincts': Ex-F=
> BI
>> profiler explains dangers of that 'nice' neighbor" in the Washington Post
>> (
>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/dangerous-instincts-fbi-pro=
> filer-explains-the-dangers-of-that-nice-neighbor/2011/10/17/gIQAkvNCDM_stor=
> y.html<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/dangerous-instincts-fb=
> i-pro=3D%0Afiler-explains-the-dangers-of-that-nice-neighbor/2011/10/17/gIQA=
> kvNCDM_sto=3D%0Ary.html>),
>> Monica Hesse uses the lamb metaphor in connection to psychopaths without
>> reference to the movie or book the "Silence of the Lambs":
>>
>> -----
>> Is it possible to tell whether the lawn guy is a psychopath, or just
>> overcharging you on fertilizer? The lambs are screaming, and they are in
>> your cul de sac.
>> -----
>>
>> I suppose "screaming" might be considered a sly reference to the word
>> "silence" in the title.
>>
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> Seattle, WA

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