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The secret to a convincing fictional psychopath is not simply a matter of imbuing a person with violence, as not all psychopaths are violent. Some simply want power, money or control, and silently manipulate their way through life to get it. Films and books have portrayed psychopaths as having various personality traits, demonstrating that there is no ‘model’ psychopath.
Avoiding the Stereotypical Villain
Too frequently, films and books portray the psychopath as a serial killer or stalker or use the Hitchcock’s Psycho template for a nasty piece of work. Such fictional villains do not always perturb as intended. Having encountered people who lack human empathy in real life (as such people are not rare), I find the real life version more disturbing than the fictional, two-dimensional sort. In fact, any borderline personality disorder bias towards the psychopath is never a pleasant encounter. However, such experiences can help the writer create a convincing psychopath for fiction.
Psychopath Characteristics in Stories
Criminal psychologist, Dr Robert D Hare PhD has devised a Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), a questionnaire that assesses the psychiatric profile of any subject, and has gleaned down what really defines a psychopath by some or all of the following qualities: narcissism, lack of empathy, shallow emotions, pathological liar, lack of personal responsibilities, egocentric, manipulative, lack of remorse, superficial charm and early signs of disturbed behavior. Injecting some authenticity into the character could create the real chill factor.
A sociopath (slightly different to a psychopath) is defined by overt disregard for the rights of others, often manifesting itself in violent and antisocial behavior. Again, a narcissist is concerned only with selfish pursuits, but is imbued with emotions A psychopath will not always exhibit these qualities, although the three personality disorders will overlap.
Narcissistic Psychopaths in Thrillers
A believable psychopath might possess unique characteristics that raise him above the stereotype. The stock-example psycho, Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter convinces because in Robert Harris’s novel, Silence of the Lambs (1988), Lecter portions violence, not indiscriminately, but with deliberation. His defining factors are his intelligence, his charm and how he uses these ‘talents’ to manipulate. Ultimately, he views himself above others, the defining factor of delusions of grandeur; a narcissist.
A very different portrayal of one with psychopathic tendencies can be found in Glenn Close’s Marquise de Merteuil in the film, Dangerous Liaisons (1988). This manipulative socialite is bent upon ruining anyone who has crossed her whilst feigning a virtuous front and showing little remorse. This type of psychopath is defined more by toying with people’s feelings rather than as a cannibal who bites off nurses tongues. The two characters starkly contrast, yet both have the same callous qualities.
Psychopath Sociopath in Fiction
What makes a character frightening is not just the violence but how this juxtaposes against righteousness, perversion or glee. Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (1996) features the character Begbie (brilliantly played by Robert Carlyle) who demonstrates the stomach-churning bipolar mood swings from sniggering to murderous, as can be seen in a scene when he blithely slings a glass in the air, splitting a woman’s head open. He merely laughs in response without any remorse.
Monsters in Fiction
A similar sociopathic volatility can be seen in Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990) where we never know whether he is joking or on the verge of murdering someone. He takes perilous umbrage at anyone who attempts to rib him, whereas he edgily quips to a friend, 'am I just a clown to you?' hushing an entire restaurant. He later shoots a young man to death just to watch him dance. DeNiro’s mafia boss, Capone in The Untouchables (1987) has a similar hang-up where he clubs an associate to death over a simple remark. Again, we never know how far Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs (1992) will go in his deed to torture a policeman, not for answers, but for his own enjoyment. The qualities that make these characters unsavory are their abilities to charm, work their way into power and make others feel valued. Above all, their irrational cruelty.
Manipulating Psychopaths in Thrillers
John Steinbeck’s’ East of Eden (1952) charts the life of Cathy Ames, who is described as having a ‘deformed soul.’ Although a committer of heinous crimes, is not given to violent rages Begbie-style or like Mr. Blonde. She simply manipulates her way into getting what she wants, and if some trusting soul has to die for it, then so be it. Indeed, she murders a fellow prostitute and takes over her brothel without compunction. She has a talent for weaving truth with lies whilst retaining a candid gaze and feels no remorse after burning down her parents’ house, killing them both. Of course, she has no feelings for the children she abandoned. Making the point that the offspring of a psychopath should not be defined by lineage, Ames’ son Caleb is tortured by emotions and guilt – enough for the two of them. Unlike his mother, he only wants love.
Creating My Own Psychopath
I didn’t want my fictional psychopath to be a stock villain or simply violent, but one imbued with such qualities. Kurt Bowers is not openly aggressive or intimidating. In fact, his self-control is what makes him disturbing. This callous manipulator also has a history of pyromania and of killing animals. He hides his callous streak behind a mask of charisma and leadership where petty criminals serve him. Surrounded by fawners, he senses (not feels) his isolation. He doesn’t care whether his criminal machinations are successful, only if his psychological games stimulate him.
Story of a Psychopath
A key member of Kurt’s group, Frank (amongst others) falls under Kurt’s spell. Frank likens his subjugation to Kurt’s clique to watching a car crash in slow motion; he is aware of what is happening, but can do nothing about it. However, another key member, Josh, is immune to Kurt’s seduction. This fascinates Kurt and he wants to know why to the point of pique. Kurt fancies that Josh might be a kindred psychopath, but Josh's dislocation is for a different reason. It is Kurt’s increasing obsession with Josh that partially fuels my story.
Portrayal of Narcissism in Novels
Although Kurt is an important element of the story, he inhabits a lesser part of the novel. The viewpoint is told by Sarah, a young teacher who detects Kurt’s treachery as soon as she meets him in his criminal hideout called the Hollows. She can see that Kurt is not defined by physical violence, as in the previous examples, but by emotional violence. He uses people then discards them. Sarah resolves to keep her distance, and concentrates on her job, teaching none other than Josh, but is constantly aware of Kurt in the background. Ultimately, I wanted Kurt to unnerve, without raising his voice or his fist. This means that when he eventually does, the event is truly shocking.
A Fictional Bad Character
The following excerpt conveys the sort of psychopath that Kurt is, taken from the novel’s prologue and told from Frank’s viewpoint.
Fire and weapons became Kurt’s sole obsession. He would ramble on about committing the perfect arson and then stare at Frank as though he were a stranger. For a while, Frank did not care to be alone with Kurt. In fact, Frank began to ponder on Kurt’s sexuality. Secretly, he had noticed that Kurt had never had a lasting relationship with anyone of the opposite sex, and since his uncle’s admission, Kurt had become ever more shrouded.
Anatomy of a Psychopath
As can be seen, Kurt’s secrecy forms part of his power. His associates vie for Kurt’s secrets, viewing them as tokens of Kurt’s approval, but no one ultimately knows Kurt very well. He remains a riddle.
In this second excerpt, Sarah wonders at Kurt’s power, as she accompanies her boyfriend Frank to a local bar, where Kurt and his friends hold a meeting.
Kurt took out a credit card and proffered it to Robbie. Robbie grumpily snatched the card and stepped over the chairs. Sarah watched Kurt’s girlfriend at the bar – a pouty blonde. She wore a strapless black dress and heavy makeup. Her eyes kept shifting in Kurt’s direction. Sarah knew she would do anything for Kurt. Sarah wondered if Kurt viewed a girlfriend of Frank’s as a similar accessory. Did he view all such girlfriends in the same way; frilly background-fodder that kept his minions at bay? She wondered how he managed to assert control over everything that surrounded him – that credit card, for one. How did he obtain it without a fixed abode? How could he trust someone else to use it? What was stopping his friend from withdrawing all of Kurt’s cash and disappearing?
Sarah knew as certainly as she was sitting here, that Robbie would return with the drinks without withdrawing a penny more. Trust sat at the centre of Kurt’s operations and Sarah could only wonder at these things.
Both excerpts from A Hard Lesson by Charles J Harwood
Copyright is asserted © 2012
More themes relating to this novel
Stories of peer pressures in a group
The butterfly effect and chaos theory in stories
Forbidden love of Venus and Mars
Chemistry of character contrast in stories
Other articles
What does your inner gremlin look like?
What if human behavior had a voice?
References:
Without Conscience Official web site of Dr. Robert Hare
Lykken, David T. The Antisocial Personalities (1995)
Paul Babiak & Robert D. Hare. Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go To Work. HarperCollins, New York
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