Conceptualize a world in which you have no conscience, no feelings of guilt or remorse - no matter what actions you take - no feelings of empathy or concern for the well-being of your friends, your loved ones. them, or even family members. It's a sociopath's world. It's Tom Ripley's world in Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom grows into an intelligent young man who ends up causing a crime wave in Europe. His driving force behind this frenzy, although it may be sporadic, is freedom. His ability to free himself from a bad conscience and the pleasure of hiding a false identity (characteristics of a sociopath) are the motivations that pushed him to acquire freedom. We don't know much about Tom's childhood; however, it is clear that his life has evolved into a sociopathic lifestyle. We know that “[His] parents died when [he] was very small” and that “[He] was raised by [his] aunt in Boston.” (25) He didn't like his aunt, hated her and wanted to kill her. "He had imagined - Aunt Dottie trying to hold him in the house, and he was hitting her with his fists, knocking her to the ground and strangling her, and finally ripping the big brooch out of her dress and stabbing her a million times in the throat with." (42) He was tormented and mocked by his aunt; she repeatedly called him a sissy. Perhaps the fact that he wanted to kill her can be seen as the first sign of his evolution into the enigmatic, sociopathic killer he has become. A personality disorder, such as sociopathy, can be defined as a pervasive pattern of disregard and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. This seems to be the exact characteristics of Tom Ripley. However, only one...... middle of paper......and Mr. Greenleaf. Although Tom already knows he has earned Marge's trust, his sociopathic and antisocial attitude comes out in San Spiridone. “He felt more afraid that night, crossing San Spiridone with Marge, than if he had been alone.” (222) He feels more frightened when he has a possible connection with Marge than when he violently murders Dickie or Freddie. However, if he could manage to be Dickie to Marge, I wonder if he would feel the same way? This would be an ideal situation for Tom. "He wanted to see Greece like Dickie Greenleaf with Dickie's money, Dickie's clothes, Dickie's way of dealing with foreigners." (172) Realizing that this could not happen, Tom feels the strongest emotion: “Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at the cathedral bell tower, then he turned and began to walk down a new street..” (172)