The Talented Mr. Ripley

by

Patricia Highsmith

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The Talented Mr. Ripley: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Though Tom has told Bob Delancey that he doesn’t want to be seen off, when he arrives at the ship that will take him to Europe, he finds Bob and several of Bob’s friends drinking and reveling raucously inside his cabin. Tom is annoyed and distressed and leaves to wander the ship; soon, though, visitors are called ashore, and when Tom returns to his cabin, it has been neatened and cleaned. There is a fruit basket from Emily and Herbert waiting inside, and Tom begins to sob at the sight of it.
The final obstacle between Tom’s life in New York and his journey abroad comes in the form of his circle of acquaintances, whom he sees as obnoxious. When they finally leave him and he receives the fruit basket from the Greenleafs, he is so overwhelmed by the joy and potential of his new life that he experiences another rare moment of vulnerability.
Themes
Wealth, Luxury, and Excess Theme Icon
Escapes Theme Icon