To the ones who read the book, I need your opinion.

What do you think about the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling?

In the book ending, she stayed with him. Did she do it willingly? In my opinion she did, after the drugs and the hipnosis and after her rather unespected answer toward his intentions of ¨tranforming¨ her into Mischa, so to speak, she was free to choose wether to stay or leave … now what do you think ?

Thanks for your time

Mischa

There was a release mechanism built into his hypnosis of Clarice. It was the sound of a bowstring going off. Lecter didn’t release her so, she was still under his spell. He planned on releasing her when she has reached her full potential. Therefore she was not free to make a decision and choose to stay or leave. She is still his prisoner. She is with him but not of her own free will.