The Talented Mr. Ripley: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Tom has been with Dickie “every moment since he moved into Dickie’s house.” Over the course of the few days after the trip to Rome, Marge makes herself scarce, and is “cool” toward both Tom and Dickie when they see her at the beach. Tom realizes that Marge is “much fonder” of Dickie than he is of her. Tom also feels that Dickie is enjoying his company, and that he’s doing a good job of keeping Dickie “amused.” Tom studies Italian with a local young man named Fausto, writes to Herbert with falsely encouraging news, and lazes about on the beach. Tom and Dickie make vague plans for traveling Europe together over the next several months, and though Tom attempts to exclude Marge, Dickie mentions their plans to her. Tom notices that Dickie occasionally takes Marge’s hand and is making an effort to be “attentive.”

Dickie goes up to Marge’s house, hoping to reassure her and to invite her to Cortina. Tom follows him in secret; he has pictured Dickie embracing Marge, and he simultaneously wants to see it and “loathes the idea” of seeing it. When Tom arrives at the house, he can see Dickie kissing Marge through the window, and it disgusts him. He runs all the way home to Dickie’s, where he throws some of Dickie’s art supplies out the window. He then goes into Dickie’s room and tries on Dickie’s clothes. Dressed head-to-toe as Dickie, Tom imitates Dickie’s voice and enacts a scene of murdering Marge by strangling her until she goes limp. “You were interfering between Tom and me,” he tells her imaginary corpse. “No, not that! But there is a bond between us!” Tom imagines Marge and Dickie making love, then dons one of Dickie’s hats. Right at that moment, Dickie walks into the room.

Although in the past few weeks Dickie has welcomingly lent Tom his clothes, he asks Tom to “get out” of his outfit. Tom tries to act casual, asking Dickie if he’s made up with Marge. Dickie insists that he and Marge are “fine,” and then tells Tom “clearly” that he is “not queer.” Dickie tells Tom that Marge thinks Tom is queer because of how Tom acts. Tom insists that he isn’t, as does Dickie, and Tom then asks Dickie if he is in love with Marge. Dickie tells Tom he is not, but accuses Tom of being “obvious” about his dislike for Marge, and making her feel bad.

Tom attempts to reassure himself of Dickie’s affections while Dickie spends the afternoon painting. By five o’ clock Tom feels that things are back to “normal,” and he and Dickie spend time conversing in Italian with Fausto. Tom hopes that, with hard work, he can make his Italian “as good as Dickie’s.”