Instruction
These essay prompts require outside research. You’ll need to use the online articles, PDFs, or
books to help you. Make sure to clearly define concepts before you discuss how they relate to
Loner and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
1) In modern psychology, “the dark triad” refers to a combination of three personality
traits--narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy--that are found in people with
underlying malevolent tendencies. Some aspects of these traits can be inherited; others
formed throughout one’s life experiences. In Loner, does David engage in behaviors that
intersect with “the dark triad”? What about Tom in The Talented Mr. Ripley? Provide
examples from the text, scenes from the film, and demonstrate your understanding of
“the dark triad”.
2) Tom, near the end of The Talented Mr. Ripley, says, “whatever you do, however terrible,
however hurtful, it all makes sense...in your head, right? You never meet anybody who
thinks they’re a bad person.” Do you think David from Loner and Tom from The
Talented Mr. Ripley--and people in general--are inherently bad, or just products of
circumstance? You might want to consider how power and the justice system work to
explain crimes and criminality. Provide examples from the text, scenes from the film, and
outside research (preferably psychology or sociology) to support your findings.
3) The antihero is the protagonist of a story, film, or novel that displays characteristics that
generally differ from those displayed by traditional heroes. Take David, Tom, or both,
and put their character traits and values under the microscope. In which ways do they
use unheroic qualities to get what they want? Provide examples from the text, scenes
from the film, and outside research to demonstrate your understanding of heroes,
antiheroes, and villains, and their roles in stories, films, and culture.
*Your essay will be due on Blackboard, as stated earlier, by midnight on Friday, May 15. Please
specify, in your header, which essay prompt you are writing on. Please adhere to MLA format;
your paper should be in 12 pt. font, 3.5--7 pages of writing, with a Works Cited page. My advice
is to compile research and make an outline before you write the essay.*