Talented Mr. Ripley

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Insanity is a behavior that is often judged by our society. If one behaves in a manner that contradicts the societal norm, he is ostracized for his inappropriate actions. Insanity however is not to be confused with irrationality. Tom Ripley's many immoral acts, namely, murder, forgery, and deceit could be perceived as insane; however, when one takes into consideration the calculated motives behind them, it is evident that they are merely irrational. Tom's irrational, yet shrewd mind allows for him to achieve his primary goal, that being, becoming his obsession, Dickie Greenleaf. His shrewdness however, is not powerful enough to allow him to function as solely Dickie Greenleaf--he can only function as a combination of Dickie's outer-self, with his own inner-self.

To understand Tom Ripley, it is of most importance to analyze the root of his irrationality. He appears intimidated by those who possess more than he. Tom has a desire to leave his current life, that is, "to leave New York" and to be better accepted by society (9). When Mr. Greenleaf proposes for Tom to take a free trip to Italy, naturally, Tom sees it as a window of opportunity, and accepts his offer. He gladly says "good-bye to all the second-rate people he had hung around and had let hang around him in the past three years in New York," and takes the opportunity for " a clean slate (34-35)." Dickie Greenleaf, and Italy then become his escape from loneliness and destitution.

Once Tom arrives to Italy and is introduced to Dickie Greenleaf's affluent style of living, he realizes the need to become part of it. The only way he sees himself achieving higher status is by physically and mentally becoming Dickie Greenleaf himself. Elements of Tom's irrationality are first seen when Tom helps himself to Dickie's wardrobe. "He jerked Dickie's closet door open and looked in. He took off his knee-length shorts and put on the gray flannel trousers. He put on a pair of Dickie's shoes. Then he opened the bottom drawer of the chest and took out a clean blue-and-white striped shirt. He re-parted his hair and put the part a little more to one side, the way Dickie wore his. (78)" This is Tom's first effort in changing his physical appearance to suit Dickie's. He feels a need to not only function as Dickie, but to become him. He spends numerous hours trying to understand Dickie's thought processes. This is evident in Tom's disbelief in Dickie's interest in Marge upon seeing the two of them embracing. "What disgusted him was the big bulge of her behind in the peasant skirt below Dickie's arm at circled her waist. And Dickie-! Tom really wouldn't have believed it possible of Dickie! (77)" Tom doesn't understand intimacy and the need for Marge in Dickie's life. He wants all of Dickie's attention to himself, and feels threatened by his relationship with Marge.

His jealousy of Dickie eventually escalates to a level of hatred. He feels an utter need to become Dickie as each day passes. His feelings are amplified even more by a specific incident with a colloquial man. As Dickie and Tom enjoy taking trips, Tom finds an impoverished man who offers him a ride "to Paris in a coffin. (85)" When Tom introduces Dickie to this man, Carlo, Dickie regards him with very little respect, "he was watching the man alertly. Gazing at the man as if he were some kind of animal which interested him, and which he could kill if he decided to. (87)" Upon observing Dickie's reaction to this innocent man, "a crazy, directionless fury boiled in his blood and made him tremble. He was furious at Dickie. Dickie was looking over the man's dirty nails, dirty shirt collar, his ugly dark face that had been recently shaven though not recently washed, so that where the beard has been was much lighter than the skin above and below it. (87)" Tom suddenly sees himself in Carlo. He imagines Dickie thinking the same way of himself and irrational, yet justified thoughts of hate overwhelm him. At this point in the novel he realizes the absolute need to kill Dickie and literally "become Dickie Greenleaf himself. (89)"

Tom kills Dickie unmercifully, yet the reader still feels compelled to sympathize with him and not accidentally. Highsmith presents the character of Tom Ripley to be an irrational