“The Talented Mr Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith - set in 1930-40’s in a somewhat vibrant, jazz influenced Italy - gives a vivid insight into the mind of a small-time conman turned psychopath. It also provides us with the central concepts of amorality, paranoia and how that survival and greed for money can turn almost ordinary people uncaring and self-indulgent. Highsmiths use of third person narrative is an effective technique and is used to expand on the thesis of morality in the novel. This is the aspect I will intend to explore in my presentation.

We first meet the character of Tom Ripley exiting a local bar and being followed by a stranger. Immediately we are introduced to a central concern in the novel. The symbolism in the name “Green Cage” (Tom’s local bar) is not entirely evident when first starting the novel. It is however referring...