The Talented Mr. Ripley, a novel by Patricia Highsmith, follows the life of a young conman turned psychopath. The novel is set in a period characterized by repression and depicts many Freudian ideas and concepts such as the crisis of masculinity, toxic masculinity, homosexual panic as well as the unconscious. This essay will focus first on Tom's crisis of masculinity throughout the novel and his bond with Marge, followed by his relationship with Marge and their constant battle to gain Dickie's attention using Freud's notions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Early on in 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 crook, Tom is both humiliated and ashamed of his entire existence. His talent as a character stems from his deep insecurity with his own identity which serves as the driving force behind his total obsession with Dickie, so strong that it inspires him to reject his own identity and reclaim Dickies'. Throughout the novel, Tom's hatred of Marge is clearly depicted. Tom has struggled with masculinity since a young age and Marge, being a woman, fuels his hatred towards her due to her disdain for women as a whole. His insecurities as a child are depicted when he remembers being called a sissy by his aunt. "Sissy! He's a sissy through and through. Tom's difficult childhood spent under the watchful eye of his aunt led him not only to view his younger self as weak, but also to believe that He doesn't fit into "typical male" standards, as his aunt describes him as a sissy. His views on masculinity and the lack of it have continued into his adult life. had a face that was not only forgettable, but also one that he couldn't understand "He had always thought he had the dullest face in the world..." By saying this, it is implied that Tom never did. felt comfortable in who he is and may never have been able to accept his masculinity As Freud describes it, we can say that Tom is afflicted with a persistent crisis of masculinity, “a crisis linked to. a person's masculinity regarding how a 'typical man' should behave'. Tom is more than aware that he does not fit the societal norms associated with being a so-called manly man and, therefore, , he begins to act out exhibiting classic masculine behaviors. This is known by Freud as toxic masculinity, repressive ideas that depict masculinity as exaggerated masculine traits such as being violent, strong, and emotionless. This type of behavior is observed several times throughout the book. For example, when Tom walks into Dickie's room after seeing Dickie and Marge kissing and tries on all of his clothes. He looks in the mirror and speaks in a deep voice because that's how a man should speak. Tom's toxic masculinity is also apparent in his relationship with Marge. When he first sees his house, he notices "the bra hanging on a windowsill." Later, he again refers to Marge's underwear: "her underwear was draped over her chairs...the idea repelled him." Tom's distaste for Marge's underwear lying on top of his things suggests that he thinks his "masculinity" would be contaminated by his underwear, which is abominable and a disgrace to his masculinity given that his underwear can be considered as a representation..