Particia Highsmith explores the mind of a lonely psychotic man in her novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom Ripley is a man who has spent most of his life uncomfortable in his own skin and in desperate search of the right script (in this play that we call life) to follow. In a way, and in different degrees everyone past the age of seven goes though that. Just as Tom dreamed of living the type of life Dickie lead, I know that when I was younger, I would stare at myself in the mirror and imagine myself to have red hair and green eyes, to be thinner and to have a more popular status with my peers.
             At that point, the life I lead wasn't good enough for me. My parents, most of my friends, my clothes- everything was sub-par and I hate that. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I would always keep an eye out for an outlet to get me away from that which was me. That's why in a very twisted and convoluted way, Tom's assumption of Dickie's life makes so much sense to me. I've always believed that a life in which you have no identity is one that isn't worth living.
             Things look up for Tom when he realizes that his life doesn't have to continue on the route it was following. He realized that who he needed to be was Dickie. I remember having this one friend who I worshipped most of elementary school. I adored her so much that I started emulating her. Her mannerisms, her style of clothing, and even her handwriting, which were once unique, were all of a sudden a part of my persona as well.
             I didn't give up her "flair" until I finally recognized what I was doing was forced to. One day I just came to the conclusion that none of this was me. I had spent all this time and energy into something that I couldn't even relate to because of the drastic socio-economic differences between my friend and I. It was time I stopped copying, and started turning into my own person....