Clarice vs. Dolores

Agent Clarice Starling of "The Silence of the Lambs" is perhaps a character that one would identify as a femme fatale, but Dolores Haze, Lo, Dolly, Lo-lee-ta; a young nymphet? Could a young and innocent girl possibly be considered a manipulative seductress?

It seems so. And strangely enough, Lolita is the typical femme fatale in this instance, more so than the conservative yet forceful Clarice Starling. In "Lolita", genre is utilised purposefully in order to illustrate Lo's femme fatale status, and genre is also a component of Starling's role as a femme fatale. Connected to this genre is the characterisation of the femme fatales as protagonist and antagonist

"Lolita" begins as a romance, however, when Humbert and Dolores find themselves being followed by men in dark cars, the novel's genre quickly shifts into a crime thriller alike "The Silence of the Lambs". The difference being that Starling is the protagonist in the crime fiction whereas in "Lolita" Humbert takes on the role of a film noir protagonist rather than Dolores. In accordance to this shift in genre, Lolita's character changes as well; from a subject of adoration into a femme fatale. This juxtaposition highlights Dolores' sudden desire to defy Humbert, seducing him only to gain benefits from his wealth and character. She acts secretively around Quilty, a playwright who she has fallen in love with, convincing Humbert to attend Quilty's plays while hiding their relationship, and eventually running away with him. This puts Dolores in the role of the protagonist; the position of a typical femme fatale. Starling, however, plays the role of protagonist, which is not common of a femme fatale. She befriends Dr. Lecter against orders and solves the case single handedly, stating the famous words "Mr Gumb, you're under arrest". The manipulative nature of her work is indicative of her femme fatale status, much like Dolores Haze's manipulation of Humbert. Though each of the femme fatales plays a different role in a crime fiction, they both possess the manipulative and persuasive qualities of a femme fatale.

There is no one definition of a femme fatale, as represented in the differences between Dolores Haze and Agent Clarice Starling. What really defines a femme fatale is woman of strength who can manipulate any man to her advantage and always come out ahead in the end.