ABSTRACT
Tom Ripley's victim in Purple Noon and The Talented Mr. Ripley is Philippe/Dickie Greenleaf,1 a rich American who has lived in Italy for several years supported by his trust fund. Back in the United States, Greenleaf's father locates a prior acquaintance of his son, Tom Ripley, and sponsors his trip to Italy for the purpose of influencing Greenleaf to return home. Very soon after meeting up with Greenleaf, Tom
reveals his travel arrangement to him, and they get on with enjoying Italy. Although they had not been close friends in the United States, now Greenleaf is amused by Tom's displays of forgery and mimicry, and Tom savors Greenleaf's higher-class lifestyle. At first, Greenleaf's female companion, Marge, also an American living abroad,2 is the only hindrance to the men's bonding. However, when Greenleaf does not write an encouraging, if insincere, letter to his father-as he promised Tom he would do-Tom's expense account is cut off. Tom, who covets upward class mobility more than anything, kills Greenleaf. At first Tom Ripley impersonates his wealthier victim, wearing his monogrammed clothes, spending his family money, traveling in his style. To protect this acquired identity, he even commits a second murder when Freddie Miles, one of Greenleaf's old friends, pays an unexpected visit. The real Greenleaf, who is missing but presumed still alive, is blamed for the murder. At this point Tom forges Greenleaf's will to his own advantage and resumes using the name Tom Ripley. This summarizes that portion of the plot shared by film and novel. Before analyzing the texts individually, I must note several significant discrepancies, especially with regard to homosexuality and class. My general purpose in comparing the texts is not to measure the adaptation's accuracy, but rather to explore the consequences for identity of their different portrayals of repressed homosexuality.
