Red Dragon

Bloom describes Graham’s greatest talent as “pure empathy and projection” (189). This talent for assuming the perspective of almost any other person is what allows Graham to create such detailed profiles of people who seem to operate beyond the pale of human morality and action. Crawford knows that Graham “doesn’t think like other people” (10), which is exactly what makes him so valuable and—in an ironic manner—makes Graham feel so alienated from society. Graham is disgusted by his talent. By the end of the novel, he can know certain details about Dolarhyde’s life because he empathizes with the “monster” (394). Being able to empathize with a monster, to be able to walk through a murder scene and describe how and why a murderer acted in any given fashion, appalls Graham. He worries that his ability to empathize with a serial killer somehow makes him sympathetic toward them. To others, his abilities seem almost supernatural. Both Graham’s shame and others’ astonishment exacerbate his sense of alienation, pushing him away from the social mainstream and toward the fringes of society where the monsters are to be found. Graham’s talent is also a curse; whereas empathy is typically regarded as a positive talent, Graham’s empathy is so extreme that he is disgusted by his ability to comprehend even the most twisted minds.