Books or films with narcissistic characters?

[Biscuitsareme]

I've only recently 'discovered' narcissistic behaviour and it's been a real eye-opener to me. Now there are some characters in books and films that really hit me as narcissistic.

I'll go first:

Muriel's Wedding: Muriel's awful awful father

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair
(although Strange and Norrell have traits I suppose)

Any more?

[lottieandmia]

Scarlet O Hara in GWTW is supposed to be a narcissist isn't she?

Blanche in a Street Car Named Desire

Tony's mum in the Sopranos and Janice, too I would say

Dorian Gray, too - surely?

[mignonette]

'Margot's Wedding'. The character played by Nicole Kidman.
'The Squid And The Whale'- the parents are both self centred and self indulgent.

[2rebecca]

Madame de Bovary, Wuthering heights (Cathy Heathcliffe and Earnshaw all narcs) Gone with the wind.
Many romantic heroines in fiction are narcs, it's a shame they are regarded as heoines. Agree also the talented Mr Ripley.
Snow White's mother.

[mignonette]

Yes 'Young Adult'!!!

[forgetmenots]

+1 for Young Adult and for me the most realistic are Tony's mother and sister in The Sopranos

[lottieandmia]

Mr Ripley seems to be more sociopathic to me, although he's a complex one perhaps.

[madmayday]

Patrick Bateman - American Psycho (and also quite possibly the man who played him; Christian Bale)...

[lottieandmia]

Patrick Bateman is a psychopath isn't he? I suppose the diagnoses can overlap?

[2rebecca]

Mr Ripley may be more sociopath / psychopath as he's less melodramatically "me me me" than narcs usually are and not wanting other people to run around after him as other people don't matter to him other than as a means to getting stuff.

[Lweji]

Snow White's mother.
Not stepmother?

[Lweji]

Emperor Palpatine?

[clarequilty]

I you really truly want an illuminating read about narcissism and how culturally steeped we all are (and how our parents' generation is the first truly narcissistic one) you should read this blog by a forensic psychiatrist. Many of his posts on pop culture and trends in diagnostics and education focus on narcissism

thelastpsychiatrist.com/

Narcissism isn't what many think it is, it's much more insidious and pervasive.

[clarequilty]

narcissism is misunderstood.

you can equally be a charitable 'do gooder', a loner, a moper, a quiet, reserved person and still be a raging narcissist.

It is a disorder of identity rather than simply being a self-obsessed, self aggrandising shitbag.

you grow up unable to connect with others as fully fledged other beings, so you have to fake your feelings, deriving your narratives about love and sadness and happiness from crappy pop culture.

[JaceyBee]

yy to Nicole Kidman in margot at the wedding and the 'mother' in tangled. Also, I would hesitantly suggest Nate from six feet under. Maybe not full blown but he certainly has traits.

[Frikadellen]

the mother in " Flowers in the attic"

[DamnDeDoubtance]

Sherlock Holmes

[corlan]

Thomas the Tank Engine and Bella from the Tweenies.

[lottieandmia]

Bella couldn't be - she's only supposed to be about 4. I think she's just bossy.

[Biscuitsareme]

at Thomas the Tank engine!

I agree that Nate from 6 Feet Under could be a narc, or definitely develops into one towards the end.

Oh, and My Cousin Rachel- do you mean the narrator or Rachel herself? I'd say both?

Muriel's father in Muriel's Wedding is a classic one I think: sees his family only in the way they reflect upon him;undermining of everyone he sees as a threat; wants constant admiration; when press comes to his wife's funeral, that's more important than his wife being dead etc

Another classic male one is (less well known French film) Look at me/ Comme une image

[Wellwobbly]

Thomas the tank engine????

I thought - who is the grumpy one?

[morefalafel]

Daughters of Narc. Mothers lists Cher in Mermaids. Never noticed that one before but of course she is!

[middleclassdystopia]

I think Livia Soprano is dead on.

Daniel Day Lewis' character in There Will Be Blood

The wizard in Wizard of Oz

I think Cathy and Heathcliff represent the two sides to the narcissist. The damaged side (Heathcliff) and the image (Cathy). I cannot bear it described as a love story.

The Fighter - the mum of the boxing brothers is a classic.

[Peacocklady]

Zenia in The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

[bruffin]

Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter