The Silkworm

One of the central themes of The Silkworm is the corrosive power of ego within the literary world. Almost every character described Bombyx Mori, and their real-world counterpart, is consumed by vanity, pride, or resentment. The publishing industry as portrayed in the novel is a battleground of fragile egos, bitter rivalries, and long-held grudges. Strike’s investigation reveals a culture that equates cruelty with genius and rewards those who dominate the conversation rather than those who contribute meaningfully to it.

Owen Quine himself is a symbol of the destructive nature of unchecked ego. He was once a promising writer, but by the time the novel begins he is a caricature of literary self-importance. His hunger for fame, his willingness to sacrifice personal relationships for notoriety, and his performative eccentricities all point to an inflated self-image. His decision to circulate the grotesque and symbolic manuscript is a desperate cry for relevance. Liz Tassel, the murderer, is also driven by ego masked by decades of repression and unrealized ambition. Once a promising young writer herself, Liz’s career was thwarted by disease and other people’s egos. Her motive for murder is to reclaim authorship over her own legacy and literary identity.

All of the characters that hail from the literary world, such as Jerry Waldegrave,