In both Silence of the Lambs and Aliens, gender and sex roles become muddled. Both films capture the indistinctness of the sexes. In a world that clearly defines the roles of men and women, it is a struggle to oppose one's place. Sterling and Ripley, the authoritative and adept females whom occupy male spheres, achieve victory in there fight for reverence and fairness. Gender assumptions create concrete attributes, deftness and demureness, which males and females, …showed first 75 words of 3094 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3094 total…for the effort of individuals, such as Clarisse and Ripley, far surpass the grievances. Both women were able to crash through the glass ceiling of society and establish themselves as powers to be taken seriously. Hannibal remains a mystery, and similar to Bill and the alien, exists as a catalyst for the female protagonist's growth. Both Silence of the Lambs and Aliens serve to challenge and question the rigid societal restraints placed upon each gender.