Character Analysis: The Talented Mr. Ripley

In Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley claims that “the main thing about impersonation, was to maintain the mood and temperament of the person one was impersonating, and to assume the facial expressions that went with them. The rest fell into place” (125). Although he makes impersonation sound easy, it takes more than impersonating for him to assume a new identity. In fact, Ripley’s attempt to become Dickie Greenleaf is not so successful. After killing his friend Dickie, Ripley takes his passport along with his identity and steps into a new personality. He is ultimately able to get away with his crime of murder and pass because his paranoia gives him the ability to imagine future scenarios in vivid detail and it always keeps him alert for possible danger. Even though Ripley is never under …show more content…
Ripley’s paranoia boosts his ambitions and at the same time reminds him that others are trying to discover the truth about his identity; therefore, he is always ready for danger. When Tom first kills dickie and checks into a hotel with Dickie’s passport, he practices Dickie’s voice and adapts to his habits even when he is by himself. Tom does it partly because he loves being Dickie, but it is also because he is always on a lookout for someone watching him. His delusions give him awareness of his positions in the bigger picture and allows him to prepare for the unexpected. As early as in chapter two, the narrator claims that Tom is vigilant “Something always turn up. That was Tom’s philosophy” (15). Tom’s philosophy helps him successfully avoid any suspicion and ultimately