As a contemporary work of fiction (written after 1945), The Talented Mr. Ripley focuses on the dissolution, or disparity, of the "self." The novel's focus on the solipsistic nature of its protagonist, a character who is equally antagonistic to himself, reflects the works appearing after World War II, infused with questions of "national," if not "individual," identity. Locating this novel in Europe heightens the drama of displacement; placing this novel in Italy creates the drama of what Anthony Minghella, screenplay writer and director of the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, refers to as the exploration of "issues of identity and sexuality." The novel is "escapist" in the sense that it allows Tom Ripley the opportunity to travel beyond his society to explore the boundaries of his identity. What ensues, most tellingly, reveals how tenuous those boundaries are.

While The Talented Mr. Ripley is identifiable as a work...