“The Talented Mister Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith
This particular mystery novel is quite unique compared to the ones we have read so far. In the beginning I was asking myself “What’s the mystery here?” I wasn’t sure if the search for Dickie was going to be the mystery, or what role Tom was going to play in the whole thing. I really felt from the beginning he was portrayed as this slightly jaded individual, who could have been a private detective that didn’t mind breaking a law or two along the way. I feel I was also lead to believe that Tom was just down on his luck and the opportunity to search for Dickie was simply a way for Tom to change his circumstances. Eventually we realize there is a lot more going on here. I think the author wants us to like Tom and form some kind of a bond with him before we find out what’s really happening.
Although it is suggested that Tom might be gay I really don’t believe he is. I think his attraction to Dickie is more about envy for a lifestyle that Tom has never had. This envy eventually turns into an obsession that costs Dickie his life. I think I would classify Tom as nonsexual. I don’t see any real evidence pointing in one direction or the other regarding his sexual orientation. I think the author wants us to consider the fact that he may be gay but I feel Tom’s issues go far deeper than jealousy over a potential lover. I feel Tom has deep seeded psychological problems that go back to the death of his parents and the lack of emotional support from his aunt. He seems to be a loner that wanders from place to place studying the habits of the people around him, but never really getting to know anyone or allowing anyone to get to know him. Tom is a man with no roots and no place to call home. It is not surprising that he is drawn to this man who has loving wealthy parents whose greatest wish is for their prodigal son to come home. Again I think the author has portrayed Tom as someone who deserves our sympathy, which puts a different twist on how we feel when he commits his first murder.
I think that the story being told from the perpetrators eyes also gives us a different insight into the crime. Since we already like Tom it’s not hard to understand why he would want to get rid of the ever brooding spoiled rotten Dickie. Not that I condone murder but because we see it through Tom’s eyes we are more sympathetic to why he does what he does. I think the author purposely leads us in this direction to show us that there is more to a criminal than the crime they commit. Tom I think is basically motivated by greed. He sees that the gravy train may be coming to an end and he is desperate to continue in this fantasy life he has created. I think only after Tom kills Dickie do we really begin to see how truly twisted Tom is. He will go to any means to protect this life he has stolen. It would be interesting to do a survey of the class on where exactly in the story did they stop feeling sorry for Tom and begin condemning him for his actions. I know, because I liked him in the beginning, I seemed willing to let him get away with things that I normally would not have.
I think this is an interesting twist on the mystery novel. Seeing things from the criminals mind and seeing how they think was very exciting. Tom’s confidence about what he was doing was amazing. He seemed to think everything out to the smallest detail which made it possible for him to get away with everything that he did. When I think back about things Tom said about himself I realize he has spent his life learning how to lie and do it so well that he can completely fool people. He spends so much time thinking about people and their actions its hard to figure out what he is going to do next. Tom keeps sinking deeper and deeper into his lies and ends up killing people that I don’t believe he ever would have done if he weren’t so immersed in this fantasy life he has created for himself. What is amazing is the fact that even as Tom seems to be moving farther and farther away from reality he continues to get away with his crimes. Why isn’t he caught? There are holes in his plan but no one seems to see them. Is the author trying to tell us something? If so, I’m not sure I know what. Is it just the fact that because we like Tom the author wants to see him get away with what he has done or are there other reasons?
Another interesting factor in the story is the inclusion of Marge. I’m not sure what her purpose is to the plot of the story. I see her as the obstacle between Tom and Dickie but after Dickie is killed I didn’t see the purpose of keeping her in the story. Then I thought maybe her purpose was going to be to help solve the crime but that didn’t happen either. I think perhaps Marge was an example of someone who is obsessed with someone but is able to deal with it in a more sane way than Tom is able to. It also occurs to me that she is the only one that dislikes Tom right from the beginning. Marge is able to see something in Tom that no one else seems to be able to see.
I think that this was a very interesting story and I enjoyed reading a mystery novel brought through the eyes of the criminal. It’s amazing what kind of behavior I was able to justify simply because I liked Tom and wanted him to be the hero of the story. This author brought very intriguing twists to this tale that kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. Perhaps we can attribute these different twists and turns to the fact that this is a female author. Is she setting up or following some form that female mystery writers follow? I’m sure she is but I haven’t figured out what it is yet. My only option is to read on!!!!