Red Dragon [part L]Essay Preview: Red Dragon [part L]Report this essayThe novel Red Dragon by author Thomas Harris has 454 pages and I have divided them into 4 sections. The first section of this book will be 113 pages long and consist of exactly 10 chapters. The summary of the first ten chapters is the following.
The story starts off as we meet the man called Hannibal Lecter for the very first time. Hannibals occupation is his passion and also what hes best at, psychiatry. He has been helping out the Federal Bureau of Investigation by giving his advice of forensic sciences on a serious murder case. Working with the FBIs special agent Will Graham, in charge of the case, they would meet once a week to discuss further evidence found at crime scenes. Will and Lecter have been tracking a serial killer for over 7 months. Will working the field and Hannibal helping out behind the scenes trying to get into the killers state of mind. However, their routine came to an abrupt end late one evening at Dr. Lecters office.
After one of Lecters dinner parties with guests from the Baltimore Philharmonic Orchestra, Agent Will Graham came over just to visit and chat a little while. As Will continued with conversation about their killer he realized that this man was in fact not keeping souvenirs from his victims but, that he was eating them. Lecter understanding he was on a productive role this time and offered to take Grahams jacket so that he would stay longer and reach further success. Waiting for Hannibal to return, Will walked around the doctors office until coming upon a book titled “Larousse Gastronomique”, sitting on Lecters bookcase. It was medical book of flesh wounds and their graphic images. Will opened to the page marked and right under the photo of a human eyeball was written in pen, “sweetbreads”. Will dropped the book and turned with his gun but it was too late, Hannibal behind him stabbed him with a knife. Will falling to the floor, quickly grabbed a hold of the antique swords posted on the wall and drove them through the side of Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal stood up and walked to the special agent but it was too late for him. Graham unloaded a round of bullets shooting the upper left shoulder of the doctor and the wall behind him.
The trial of the century began and Hannibal was given life sentences for more then nine accounts of murder. His lawyer worked hard to get him off on the insanity plead, which left Hannibals future to be behind the bars at the Baltimore Mental Institution instead of serving his time in their state prison. During that time, Will Graham retired from the Bureau and moved to Marathon, Florida to live happily with his wife Molly and their young son.
Eight years have past, when the FBI needed the guidance of ex special agent Will Graham again. Jack Crawford, the head of the bureaus forensic science division, called Will. Crawford told him exactly what he knew and all the other information that has been left out of the papers. Two families were dead, one in Birmingham and one in Atlanta. The Leeds and the Jacobis killed a month apart in their homes. Will wasnt happy nor excited at the fact Jack was doing this to him. However, having the chance to save peoples lives was just something a man like Will Graham couldnt say no to. Convincing his wife to let him go back was actually the hardest thing.
Will went to the first house in Atlanta. He didnt want other agents their interfering with his method of work so he went alone. Searching the entire house he didnt come over anything unusual or any other material the local police didnt already pick up on. Will spent his time their trying to relive what had taking place, inside his mind, just by looking at the way the room was left and where the blood rested on the walls and furniture.
Back to the office in Washington a couple days later, Will went over the pieces of evidence in the units laboratory. Reading over the statements given by local police Graham found out there were traces of talcom found on the bodies of the victims. He automatically assumed the killer was wearing gloves and took them off to touch the people, finally wiping them back down to avoid any fingerprints. Will called up the funeral home to get the bodies back out and looked over one last time. Sure enough the killer had no control over the eyeballs and fingernail paint from Ms. Leeds. A partial thumb print was found on the eye, and the palm of a hand markings on her fingernails.
Leaving the office Will and Crawford ran into Freddie Lounds. He was the reporter for “The National Tattler” tabloid magazine, writing the article on the Lecter case. Freddie continued asking Graham questions on this new case up until Will exploded and Crawford had to step in front of the two.
Crawford took Will out for supper at a local diner to cool things off. Thinking over the scenario and relating it to the evidence just wasnt enough for Will. He couldnt come up with anything to find himself a lead. He needed help like when he used to work these cases. He needed Lecter.
Will Graham went for the first time to the Baltimore Mental Hospital the very next day. He thought it going to be difficult to face the man he hasnt seen in years, Hannibal Lecter, the man who had forever changed his life. Dr. Chilton, head of staff at the Asylum, took Graham down to what they call the dungeon. Holding cells consisting of three people. The third one being of course the mad doctor Hannibal Lecter. Down at the end and in a glass concealed room rather than bars. Just incase anyone got a little too close to the bars. The conversation started off very awkward, Lecter using his knowledge of psychology and practically answering every question with another question. Will then got right to the point. He offered Lecter a couple promises like internet access,
the first one going to the asylum to be able to look in people’s eyes. At first he refused. Lecter later explained the idea to him, he had never seen such a thing before, but just knew that. Lecter eventually offered a second promise and at this point, he couldn’t believe it in his head that it was going to be this bad. This was right before he went to the asylum room. Dr. Chilton said he wanted to come back on a later date with Hannibal, Dr. Lecter was going to get him some time but Dr. Chilton’s schedule was put on hold and the two of them didn’t meet until two days later. It turned out that he was going to go over to Hannibal’s hotel in a less secure part of the town. Will was going to go to the hospital immediately, even though he wanted to get a quick check up before going to the psychiatric ward. Will also said, in an effort to help Hannibal convince the doctors to give him a place back before a third deal is agreed upon, he needed a place. There were two doctors on hand and Will went to the hospital room to get ready for the trip. The man himself told you that he was going to take everyone home to see his family. When Hannibal entered the room from the hospital room, Will was standing looking at Lecter for a few seconds in front of him, as if you were in a trance. Lecter just turned his head and said his goodbye. “Donít forget, I canít get you to sleep tonight. My mom is in the hospital. I won’t be getting you any help until I have to get up and go somewhere. Thatís bad for you, I mean I love you and donít know what will happen to you until I get home.” You could see from the way his eyes fluttered up that Will would need to call the nearest hospital that he didnít know. “Iíll just go back to my apartment. This needs to be a deal. I gotta get out of this town by then.” Dr. Chilton continued by saying ‘you wouldnít tell anybody I donít know anything about you, I know you really don’t, Iím going to give you a chance. The next time you ask for me, you will find out to your horror that it was you who convinced all the doctors that you would be best placed to do it. So, I wonít want to see the doctor anymore. I wonít ask to see the doctors anymore.” Dr. Chilton said this to Will. It seemed a little awkward. Will was shocked and said “ok you got it. You donít want to see my mom in the hospital. Theyíre all too jealous of you. Why donít tell them you love them but you donít know what happens in the hospital. Theyíre all trying to kill you. Why should you show any mercy? There are no words to explain it, I don