The Talented Mr. Ripley, a novel by Patricia Highsmith, follows the life of a young con artist turned psychopath. The novel is set in a period characterized by repression and describes many Freudian ideas and concepts such as the crisis of masculinity, toxic masculinity, homosexual panic and the unconscious. This essay will first focus on Tom's crisis of masculinity in the novel and his bond with Marge, followed by his relationship with Marge and their constant battle to get Dickie's attention using Freud's notions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the beginning of the novel, we are given a clear summary of Tom Ripley's life and it is evident that he is unhappy with many aspects of it. Living as a con artist, Tom is humiliated and ashamed of his entire existence. His talent as a composite comes from his deep insecurity about his own identity which serves as the driving force for his total obsession with Dickie, so strong that it incites him to reject his own identity and reclaim that of Dickies. Throughout the novel Tom's hatred towards Marge is clearly depicted. Tom has struggled with masculinity from an early age and Marge, being a woman, fuels his hatred towards him due to his disdain for women in general. His insecurities as a child are portrayed when he remembers being called a sissy by his aunt. “Sissy! She's a sissy from the ground up. Tom's difficult childhood, spent under the watchful eye of his aunt, led him not only to see his younger self as weak, but also to believe that he did not meet the standards of the "typical male", as his aunt she described him as a sissy. His perspective on masculinity and the lack thereof continued into his adult life. Tom points out that he always had a face that was not only forgettable but also that he couldn't understand. "He always thought he had the dullest face in the world..." In saying this, it is implied that Tom has never been comfortable with who he is and perhaps has never been able to come to terms with the his masculinity. As described by Freud, we can say that Tom is afflicted by a persistent crisis of masculinity, “a crisis related to his own masculinity regarding how a “typical male” should behave. Tom is more than aware that he does not meet the social standards associated with being a so-called manly man and, as a result, begins to act out exhibiting classic masculine behaviors. This is known by Freud as toxic masculinity, repressive ideas that describe masculinity as exaggerated masculine traits such as being violent, strong and emotionless. This type of behavior is seen on many occasions in the book. For example, when Tom enters Dickie's room after seeing Dickie and Marge kissing and tries on all of his clothes. He looks at himself in the mirror and speaks in a deep voice because that's how a man should speak. Tom's toxic masculinity is also evident in his relationship with Marge. When she sees her house for the first time she notices “her bra hanging on a window sill”. He later refers to Marge's underwear again: "her underwear would be draped over her chairs... the idea repelled him." Tom's disgust at Marge's underwear lying on his things suggests that he believes his "masculinity" would be tainted by her underwear, something abominable and a disgrace to his masculinity given that his underwear can be seen as a representation of femininity. Dickie was the perfect image of a strong, impassive,..