The Psychology of Dexter - Bella DePaulo [61]
When Dexter first meets these adversaries, he is usually intrigued and attracted to them because they share similar aspects of his personality. In this way, his initial attraction to them can be seen as a reflection of his temptation to fully embrace his own dark side. In season one, this character was Dexter’s brother Brian, the Ice Truck Killer. At first, Dexter was intrigued and impressed with Brian’s killing methods. For example, when Dexter saw how the killer drained the bodies of blood, he thought: “No blood. No sticky, hot, messy, awful blood . . . Why hadn’t I thought of that? No blood. What a beautiful idea!” (“Dexter”). In season two, it was Lila, a woman he met at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Dexter immediately saw her as a kindred spirit and engaged in a sexual affair with her. In season three, it was Miguel Prado, a district attorney who served as Dexter’s first true friend and protégé. And in season four, it was the Trinity Killer (i.e., Arthur), who initially served as a role model for Dexter on how to successfully integrate family life with the life of a killer.
Despite his initial attraction to these characters, each time Dexter eventually recognized their evil side and was compelled to dispose of them. Whereas Dexter attempts to rein in his Shadow, these nemesis characters represented what happens when the Shadow takes over completely. Therefore, when Dexter decided to kill them off, he was essentially choosing again and again to let his Hero side triumph over his Shadow side. In this way, Dexter is able to keep his Shadow in check and prevents it from completely taking over his own life. Thus, each time Dexter killed one of these adversaries, he symbolically killed off the darkest extensions of his Shadow side and reasserted the dominance of his Hero side.
WISE OLD MAN ARCHETYPE
A third major archetype represented in Dexter is that of the Wise Old Man. Typically, the Wise Old Man archetype is depicted in stories as an older male authority figure who offers guidance and advice to the story’s young Hero. This character is distinguished for his wisdom, sound judgment, and moral qualities and often possesses knowledge that is necessary for the Hero’s survival. Oftentimes, the Wise Old Man continues to offer advice even after death (e.g., Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in Star Wars).
The ultimate purpose of this archetype is to induce self-reflection and insight in the Hero before he continues forward on his journey. For this reason, the appearance of the Wise Old Man often serves as a warning that dangerous events loom on the horizon. This particular archetype can be seen in a wide variety of classic and modern myths, including Merlin in the Arthurian legend, Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series, and even Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio.
Within Dexter, the Wise Old Man archetype is clearly depicted in the character of Harry Morgan, Dexter’s deceased adoptive father who dispenses paternal advice from beyond the grave. The audience was first introduced to Harry through a series of flashbacks that Dexter experienced during the first and second seasons. But starting in season three, Harry began appearing to Dexter in real time, possibly as a ghost or a figment of Dexter’s imagination.
Because Harry was a highly respected police office, he was able to teach Dexter how to kill without getting caught. When Dexter was a teenager, Harry developed a simple but strict set of rules for Dexter to live by, and kill by. Referred to in the series as “The Code of Harry,” these rules give Dexter guidance on how to stalk his prey, avoid