MovieChat Forums > Return to Sender (2015) Discussion > Miranda is not a true psychopath...spoil...

Miranda is not a true psychopath...spoilers

posted 9 years ago by theclaimsofames
6 replies | jump to latest

If she were, she would not have been traumatized by the rape, so traumatized that she was unable to become a surgical nurse (the trauma manifested physically, causing her hand to shake). Also, her tolerance for frustration seemed to have decreased; the girl at the dry cleaners had always been a *beep* but Miranda didn't erupt at her until after the rape. While Miranda did exhibit sociopathic tendencies, the way she responded to the rape was quite normal.

I think she did care about her dad, as much as anyone with her wiring could. When he fell off the porch swing, she ran to him with urgency and didn't roll her eyes like someone acting out of a sense of duty might have. Further, people who have sociopathic tendencies possess a remarkable ability to compartmentalize, which is why she could maintain a relationship with her father without informing him that she let her mom die and able to comfort her dad after she killed his dog.

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Are you watching closely?

[–] mochteam 9 years ago

Ofcourse she was upset about being raped. It's about control, when she's being herself she's in control of what's she's doing. The rape forced someone else to be in control of her and she felt helpless. When you take control from someone like that, that's what happens. She was planning her revenge on him. She smiled about it. She never cried. Like she said in the end "She Won".

[–] theclaimsofames 9 years ago

A true psychopath would have plotted revenge immediately; she was lost until she sent that first letter. A true psychopath also would not have had that tremor. Psychopathic tendencies she had indeed, but a true psychopath she was not.

[–] theclaimsofames 9 years ago

She did cry a bit while giving him that speech of hers, but I suspect they were tears born from a shattered ego, from having been, like you suggested, overpowered (not in control).

[–] terrencepatrix 9 years ago

Being a psychopath doesn't mean they can't be traumatized seeing as how psychopathy isn't one single set of behaviors. A psychopath can be good, neutral, or bad and anything in between...it's based around risks. Unlike your average person a psychopath is missing that part that makes them doubt themselves or their actions which is what allows them to engage in extremely reckless behavior. That's why there's a high likelihood of finding psychopaths in high-risk jobs such as firemen and police. You'll find them engaging in extreme sports or high-stake risks that enable them to work their way up a corporate ladder by being cut throat in the office. And of course the stereotypical killer.

It also doesn't mean a psychopath can't care about other people than themselves, that's more associated with sociopath and narcissism than a psychopath but the way they care will be shown differently since they're lacking the ability to self-regulate their actions. There's a reason all these terms are now under the blanket term of "antisocial personality disorder", because they can't be strictly classified as the behaviors run the full spectrum of possibilities. So there is no such thing as a "true psychopath" to begin with but she'd simply be classified as having antisocial personality disorder. So really you could call her any and all of them and they'd all be right to a degree as they all now fall under that blanket term.

[–] Iconoclast321 (386) 3 years ago

Police, yes, firefighters were lower down the list (in order, top to bottom):

CEO
Lawyer
Media (TV/radio)
Salesperson
Surgeon
Journalist
Police officer
Clergy
Chef
Civil servant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace

[–] always_keep_fighting 9 years ago

Why does she have to be a "psychopath" anyway?? Can't she just be freaking crazy?? I miss "crazy." You know...When people could just say, "Y'all better not cut across Widow Wilson's back yard. That 8itch is just crazy enough to shoot you for messing up her flower bed." See? Crazy.