Silence of the Lambs and Mr. Brooks
Unit 2: Week 2 - Reader Response - Assignment 1
Juan Luna
Park University
Serial Killers as Heroes in Popular Culture
LE 300J
Ms. Silvia Kofler
November 2, 2012
Unit 2: Week 2 - Reader Response - Assignment 1 A serial killer could be dining, sitting, or even living next to you at this very moment. Most killers offer little to no obvious clues that will lead anyone to detect their often secretive, undercover actions. I ask myself, “How can we be so naive to these types of people?” Serial killers amongst us are often well educated, portray an All-American image, yet have a psychotic side to them. First, most serial killers are often well educated. Hannibal Lecter in the movie “Silence of the Lambs” is a psychologist. Who would think that a psychologist could be a serial killer? Certainly not me! Lecter further asserts his intelligence and education when he accepts an interview hosted by Clarice and offers his own perspective on who might be committing the recent murders. His intelligent insight eventually leads to the capture of Buffalo Bill. In the movie “Mr. Brooks,” Earl Brooks is an intelligent, successful, and wealthy businessman. Although his educational credentials are not disclosed, I am almost certain that he possesses some sort of graduate business degree. This is depicted by his extensive knowledge of his business’ operations and, most importantly, the meticulous planning of his murders. Brooks further displays his intelligence when he flies to Palo Alto to commit a murder, involving an axe, similar to the one his daughter commits. This will exonerate his daughter as investigators will determine that the killer is still at large. It takes an exceptionally bright individual to think of something of this nature. In “Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in American Culture,” Ted Bundy was a law student. Yet, he committed several murders mostly attributed to the pleasure he gained from watching others suffer. Secondly, serial
Juan Luna
Park University
Serial Killers as Heroes in Popular Culture
LE 300J
Ms. Silvia Kofler
November 2, 2012
Unit 2: Week 2 - Reader Response - Assignment 1 A serial killer could be dining, sitting, or even living next to you at this very moment. Most killers offer little to no obvious clues that will lead anyone to detect their often secretive, undercover actions. I ask myself, “How can we be so naive to these types of people?” Serial killers amongst us are often well educated, portray an All-American image, yet have a psychotic side to them. First, most serial killers are often well educated. Hannibal Lecter in the movie “Silence of the Lambs” is a psychologist. Who would think that a psychologist could be a serial killer? Certainly not me! Lecter further asserts his intelligence and education when he accepts an interview hosted by Clarice and offers his own perspective on who might be committing the recent murders. His intelligent insight eventually leads to the capture of Buffalo Bill. In the movie “Mr. Brooks,” Earl Brooks is an intelligent, successful, and wealthy businessman. Although his educational credentials are not disclosed, I am almost certain that he possesses some sort of graduate business degree. This is depicted by his extensive knowledge of his business’ operations and, most importantly, the meticulous planning of his murders. Brooks further displays his intelligence when he flies to Palo Alto to commit a murder, involving an axe, similar to the one his daughter commits. This will exonerate his daughter as investigators will determine that the killer is still at large. It takes an exceptionally bright individual to think of something of this nature. In “Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in American Culture,” Ted Bundy was a law student. Yet, he committed several murders mostly attributed to the pleasure he gained from watching others suffer. Secondly, serial