Hello everyone On Wed, Aug 24, 2011 at 5:41 PM, Matt Kundert <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hey Dan, > > Dan said: > The character of Dexter is not a psychopath in the strict sense of the > definition: A social predator who charms, manipulates and ruthlessly > plows their way through life...completely lacking in feelings for others, > they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating > social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or > regret. > > The fact that Dexter is a serial killer immediately brings to mind the > likes of Ted Bundy, Richard Speck, John Gacy, and other notorious > psychopaths. But Dexter isn't that kind of serial killer... he is more a > vigilante like the character Charles Bronson played in Death Wish. > Dexter is a normal, every day person... he is a loving father, he > cares deeply for his wife and sister. > > Matt: > It's funny, but we have completely different perspectives on these > shows. I see Dexter as exactly fulfilling the definition you just > supplied (though I care much less about strictness in fittingness). > The problem of Dexter, and why he's interesting, is exactly > because he is _not_ Bronson: a vigilante who cares. It is because > his mode of being a predator doesn't fit our notions of what > patterns usually do fulfill that type. I don't have time to accumulate > textual evidence, but it seems to me that a mountain of it is on my > side. Without a doubt, Dexter is evolving through the seasons (and > I haven't seen the last season, so no spoilers) and is having more > and more existential crises, but at the beginning of Season 1, there > seems to be several internal monologues that spell out that the only > reason he _behaves like_ a loving boyfriend (eventually father) and > brother is because it's what he needs to do to fit in, not because he > feels the emotions. (As I believe Arlo also articulated.)
Dan: Yes that's the way the character is written... he actually believes that he is a psychopath and as you say the internal monologues confirm this notion. And I'll agree that there is a mountain of evidence that backs up Dexter's belief. However, there are clues throughout the series that point to him being a victim of his own belief system... his actions as a serial killer so conflict with his inborn sense of morality that his feelings of guilt override his emotional makeup, causing him to believe that he has no emotions. At least that's the impression I get of the character, and why I find him so interesting. I like think there is more to Dexter than just a sick fuck who slaughters people without remorse. But I could be wrong. >Matt: > And Walter of Breaking Bad! No way. Not a psychopath. At the > beginning of Season 1 and even through the end of Season 2 (no > spoilers on 3!), he is a broken man who wants desperately to leave > his family with enough money to survive after he dies. Again, no > doubt he's evolving like Dexter, but it strikes me that he's evolving > normally as one who begins to taste specific kinds of power that > had been withheld him (for various reasons). But an underlying > psychopathology? Don't see it. Dan: Again, the clues are there if one looks closely, in my opinion of course. And unlike Dexter, Walt doesn't see himself as a psychopath. He rationalizes his actions by telling himself that his family needs to be provided for after he's gone. But the deeper reasons for his actions has more to do with his feelings of inadequacy... he feels he is better than his current station in life. He attends a birthday party for his old partner and sees how he and his wife live compared to how Walt's family lives. It is clear he has deep-seated anger issues towards the old partner and and his wife (Walt's ex-lover) that never will be resolved until Walt convinces himself that he is able to provide a sense of security for his own family. His "breaking bad" has nothing to do with him wanting to provide for his family after he's gone. He is just a bad guy suddenly set loose by his impending death. And take a look at Jesse, Walt's partner in crime. Jesse has a conscience. Walt is the one who pushes him into confronting the thief who stole drugs from one of their couriers. Jesse just wants to let it go. And Walt is quite willing to have another of their couriers killed when he's arrested for selling meth to an undercover agent. Jesse won't have it though. To Walt, any means justifies the ends. Jesse, on the other hand, insists on acting decently. Until he makes a realization about himself. But I won't go there right now. Interesting stuff... thank you, Dan Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
