Tom Ripley Character Analysis

In the book, Spy School and Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs, the main character ,Ben Ripley, changed over the course of the series due to getting kicked out of spy school.

Psychopathy is an umbrella term that is both wide and varied. Much like the spectrum of light, there are numerous groups and subcategories. In this spectrum is Anti- Social Personality Disorder (referred to as ASPD in this essay); this condition unlike psychopathy is a recognized disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (referred to as the DSM). The term psychopathy and psychopath is used in both the media and everyday use as a disorder but this is untrue. Unlike a disorder, psychopathy is more of a series of traits that all individuals have. ASPD and psychopathy are used interchangeably in society, but the diagnosis for ASPD and psychopathy are quite different. Though similar in numerous ways, there are some key

Individuals with psychopathic personality are characterized by a constellation of traits, including interpersonal-affective features such as superficial charm, manipulation, lack of affect and emotion, and antisocial features such as impulsivity and aggression. (Gao, 2011). These traits in turn have been linked to a disregard for laws and social mores, a disregard for the right of others, a failure to feel remorse or guilt and a tendency to display violent behavior (Kennedy, 1954). Furthermore, their interpersonal behavior has been described as selfish, dominant, manipulative, and superficial; showing a lack of responsibility within relationships; and inability to form long-lasting bonds. Psychopaths are described

When most people hear the word psychopath their mind forms a picture of a wild-eyed, rambling, lunatic who is often restrained in a straitjacket. The media has helped this belief along the way with slasher horror films and grisly CSI episodes depict these strange humans. However, the average psychopath is much harder to spot than most people believe. In fact, most of them are extremely difficult to distinguish from ordinary humans. They outwardly appear normal and many do not find it difficult to blend into common society. They can interact with others, hold successful jobs, and effectively keep themselves out of trouble. Most are not the sadistic killers many people think they are. Psychopaths are people born with problems (Bartol 105) or

Perry depicts Dick holding the knife, followed by asking him if he could do the killing himself. Dick agrees, and after the deed is done, Perry explains his actions stating, “I didn’t mean it. I meant to call his bluff, make him argue me out of it, make him admit he was a phony and a coward” (Capote 244). Perry explains his mental state, proving to the reader that his end goal was not to commit the murder himself. Perry’s actions are attributed to a rash moment of challenging Dick, in order to see if he would go through with his promise to “Blast hair all over the walls”(Capote 25).

Cullen is an exemplary example for a person experiencing anti-social personality disorder. He possess superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self worth, pathological lying, lack of remorse, and, most of all, he believes that it is the hospital administrator’s and orders fault for not stopping or reporting him ("Serial Killer Gets Prime Time Audience." 1). Psychopaths have the ability to charm others into

Dick is the second companion of Perry’s and with never having a true companion in the past, he enjoys this feeling of closeness. If Perry had been nurtured in the first place he would not be in the position he is now. The third companion that Perry has throughout his entire life is Willie-Jay. Perry holds Willie-Jay on a pedestal. He sees him as a god and feels that everything he does is brilliant. Willie-Jay does not hold Perry in the same regard. The one major reason Perry helps Dick is because Willie-Jay is being released from jail in the same area. Perry remembers the date and is determined to see Willie-Jay. “...for when Perry’s bus reached Kansas City, on the evening of November 12, Willie-Jay, whom he’d been unable to advise of his coming, had already left town-left, in fact, only five hours earlier, from the same terminal at which Perry arrived” (Capote

It is fact that both Dick and Perry had served prison sentences for robbery in the past. Capote further illustrates the vices of Dick’s personality when he uses the statement, “I promise you, honey, we’ll blast hair all over them walls” (22) to portray Dick as a potential murderer. Capote also shows that Dick is a liar by revealing that he lied to his father about where he was going the night of the murders (23). It is fairly obvious that Capote is portraying Dick as a person who doesn’t often exhibit virtue in his actions. Capote presents a similar idea about Perry when he reveals Perry’s confession of murdering all four Clutter’s present at the house (255). Dick and Perry never attain financial stability and are, within Capote’s story, the embodiment of the “American nightmare.” It is possible that Capote is subtly equating this with their lack of virtue.

Although both Dick and Perry took part in the devastating slaughter of the Clutter family, Capote uses rhetorical devices in order to emphasize Dick’s overall repulsive character rather than Perry; therefore, although two people commit an equal crime, one may deserve harsher punishment than the other. Throughout Dick’s life, he has not shown compassion towards anyone besides himself, taking everything and everyone for granted. With the use of amplification Capote is able to represent how Dick just viewed Perry as an easily-manipulable piece in his little game never showing true fondness towards him as Perry believed he did, thinking they were together in the long run: “Goodbye, Perry. Dick was sick of him--his harmonica, his aches and ills,

Tom Buchanan’s characteristics were fabricated to mimic those in society who decide against treating their significant other with the respect and love that he/she deserves. In the novel, Tom was never content with just having the wife he claimed he loved (Daisy), so he also began to an affair with his mechanic’s wife. He never exhibited any remorse for his infidelity, even after Daisy reveals that there have been more affairs on page 131: “Do you know why we left Chicago? I’m surprised they didn’t treat you to the story of that little spree.”. She reveals this in an attempt to get her husband to feel some remorse for his cheating or at least to convince him to allow her to leave him for Gatsby. Her attempts fail, however, and he fights even more to keep her as his own. Although Daisy uses a term with a less harsh connotation to mimic Tom’s verbal evasion of his actions, Fitzgerald makes it clear that Tom refuses to have a monogamous relationship, yet demands Daisy to do so.

Besides the authors diction, Dick has a trouble pass. He likes easy money, but most of all he

The film I chose to view this week was “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. Tom Ripley is the main character in this film. I feel that Tom could be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Throughout the film we see Tom in situations where he lies, lies more to cover up his previous lies, and kills others to prevent them from discovering his lies.

The Talented Mr Ripley, a film directed by Anthony Minghella, based off a book by Patricia Highsmith, delves into the world of a psychotic young man named Thomas Ripley. Through the film Tom murders three people and usurps the identity of Dickie Greenleaf, a wealthy socialite. Desire is a core theme in this film, causing this character to act irrationally and impulsively, obviously shown in this film through when Tom steals Dickie’s identity after murdering him and mooches off Dickie’s allowance his father pays out. This was caused by Tom’s huge desire to live in a social class way above his own, surrounded by wealth and popularity. This theft of identity caused by the character’s un-satisfaction with his own/real life, directly relates to another film ‘Catch me if you Can’, where the main protagonist Frank Abagnale poses as multiple identities such as a Pan Am Pilot, a paediatrician, and an attorney. We can see similarities with Tom and Frank’s decisions caused by their strong desire for a higher status and a wealthy

“Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by an inability to form human attachment, aggressive narcissism, and antisocial behavior defined by a constellation of affective, interpersonal and behavioral characteristics, most of which society views as pejorative” [1]. Some of these characteristics include irresponsibility, grandiosity, cunning, deceitfulness, selective impulsivity, sexual promiscuity, lack of empathy, etc. People who are psychopathic display not only antisocial behavior but also emotional impairment such as the lack of guilt. They are able to prey on others using their charm, deceit, violence or any other methods that allow them to get what they want. A strong feature of most of the behavior

Tom Ripley is consistently represented by Highsmith and Minghella as someone who’s always lacked an identity. His overriding ambition to be someone else using the talents of impersonation, forgery and telling lies portrays him as a predator, hunting for congruence, cohesion and meaning in life. From this point onwards, Tom enters a cruel and unstable reality where his obsession with Dickie Greenleaf causes him to kill him and assume his