Patricia Highsmith, often regarded as a connoisseur of suspense literature, masterfully encapsulated the complexities of the human psyche in her novels. Her narratives delve into the dichotomy of morality, exploring the thin line between good and evil through the lens of ordinary individuals thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Highsmith’s works offer an unsettling reflection on the social and psychological constructs of postwar America, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries of morality are blurred and the reflection of societal norms is chillingly distorted.

Suspense Over Mystery

While commonly associated with crime fiction, Patricia Highsmith considered herself a suspense writer, a distinction she defined in her guidebook, Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction. Highsmith differentiated suspense from traditional murder mysteries by emphasizing the threat of violence as a driving force, rather than the occurrence of murder itself. Mysteries often keep both the readers and characters in the dark, whereas suspense highlights the psychological journey of the characters, particularly the murderer, inviting readers to understand their motives rather than merely identifying them. As such, Highsmith’s narratives unravel in an amoral world where her protagonists, often depicted as murderers, are driven by necessity rather than sheer enjoyment, prompting readers to empathize with, or at least scrutinize, the societal and psychological factors that propel them to commit heinous acts.

The Amoral World of Highsmith

Highsmith's fiction is set against a backdrop of postwar American turmoil, where traditional norms were disintegrating and new social codes sought to redefine stability. Her protagonists inhabit an uncertain world, marked by the fears of a Cold War era where the enemy could be anyone—a reflection of the societal paranoia born from the Red Scare. Within this context, Highsmith explores themes of performativity, wherein characters adapt to societal expectations, and duality, which manifests in the form of doppelgängers or alter-egos.

Tom Ripley, the quintessential performer in The Talented Mr. Ripley, embodies the notion of performativity. Faced with exclusion from American high society, Ripley adopts the persona of the affluent Dickie Greenleaf, committing murder in the process to maintain his facade. This act of transformation and mimicry underscores Highsmith's critique of the "self-made man," revealing the darker implications of striving for acceptance at any cost.

Exploring Duality

Duality is a recurring motif in Highsmith's work, notably illustrated in Strangers on a Train, where the lives of two contrasting men, Bruno and Guy, become intertwined in a sinister pact. This narrative structure serves to highlight the inherent darkness within human nature, suggesting that the potential for good and evil exists within everyone. Highsmith’s exploration of duality extends to other works, including The Two Faces of January and The Boy Who Followed Ripley, underscoring the precarious balance between identity and morality.

Deviance and Postwar American Society

Highsmith's narratives often focus on "deviants,” whom she portrays as ordinary individuals grappling with societal expectations. Her characters, typically middle-class men, find themselves ensnared in the rigid postwar social codes dictating success, family, and morality. In Deep Water, for instance, the protagonist Vic is driven to murder by the pressures of maintaining an image of domestic bliss despite his wife's infidelities. These characters reveal how the demand for conformity can lead to psychological unraveling and violence, challenging the notion that criminality is inherently linked to socio-economic status.

Critiques of Gender Representation

Critics have noted the prominence of male protagonists in Highsmith's works, often accusing her of misogyny. Her female characters are frequently depicted in negative lights, serving as archetypes of societal vices. This portrayal may reflect Highsmith’s personal struggles with gender and sexuality, as she simultaneously critiqued and empathized with women within her...