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This is a discussion topic for the the August 2016 Book of the Month, The Lost Identity Casualties by Kim Ekemar.


A main theme--or maybe the main theme--in the books is: what constitutes justice and what are humans capable of under certain circumstances?

What are the readers reactions to Callaghan’s behavior and revenge actions after he has been mutilated and lost his previous life? Is he sociopath, or is his course of action understandable considering his fate? Are there any real-life comparisons to be made?


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I can understand his need for revenge, but I think that Callaghan went too far in his revenge and even enjoyed parts of it. I wouldn't go that far as to call him a sociopath, but he wasn't that far from the mark either. I don't think "normal" people would act like he did.

I see the need for revenge, but he seemed to have no remorse for his revenge. And, to me, anyone who seeks "revenge" is definitely bordering on sociopath.

kio wrote:I see the need for revenge, but he seemed to have no remorse for his revenge. And, to me, anyone who seeks "revenge" is definitely bordering on sociopath.

I agree. There is a very fine line between simple revenge (of course, when is revenge ever simple?) and crossing over to sociopath.

I looked up the definition of a sociopath, and I learned that the DSM-5's (the standard on mental illnesses) official term for sociopathy or psychopathy is antisocial personality disorder. There are a number of characteristics that would support this diagnosis for Matthias:

- Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
- Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.
- Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
- Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
(from http://www.healthyplace.com/personality ... onscience/)

So yes, I would say he is.

This is hard for me to say. I think that what Callaghan went through was absolutely horrible and I absolutely understand his need for revenge. To wake up after a coma and find your face mutilated and your identity taken and find people from your past that were a part of this scheme, it must be very difficult to deal with. I definitely cannot relate to him when he did start taking his revenge because he definitely did come off very sociopathic but I don't think it's possible for someone in his position to ever actually be normal again. In some ways this story reminded me of the Count of Monte Cristo with Callaghan being similar to Edmond Dantes. Edmond just could not love again after everything he went through and Callaghan is similar.

I think he went way too far. My take is that he has always been a sociopath (credit cards with his genius friend) but restrained, and with a father like his I think it's a little understandable. When it was triggered by his ordeal, sociopathy went up to the surface.

Although I did feel sorry for Callaghan at the beginning, because of what happened, I didn't like him. He seemed quite cold-blooded when planning his revenge. I definitely think that he became a sociopath.

stoppoppingtheP wrote:Although I did feel sorry for Callaghan at the beginning, because of what happened, I didn't like him. He seemed quite cold-blooded when planning his revenge. I definitely think that he became a sociopath.

I didn't like him as well!

kimmyschemy06 wrote:I think he went way too far. My take is that he has always been a sociopath (credit cards with his genius friend) but restrained, and with a father like his I think it's a little understandable. When it was triggered by his ordeal, sociopathy went up to the surface.

I think that's a really good point, that he was actually always a sociopath.

Definitely. I had a deep sympathy for him in the beginning. His character was hard to connect with as the story unfolded. However, his life would never again be what it was. His heart became cold, and he had an insatiable lust for revenge.

It's hard to know what Callaghan was like before he was attacked. The after affects are clearly that of a sociopath. I can understand his desire for revenge but the way he treated his wife was beyond reasonable, even for someone seeking revenge. That was really the point where I thought he went over the edge. Finding a way to have his father killed and have a new face transplant adds to that conviction.

I'm sure that you could easily find real life examples of this behavior. I just finished up my Criminology degree and spent a long time studying the behaviors of criminals. Revenge is a strong emotion, one that becomes more difficult to ignore the more jaded you become.

While I agree that it was ok for Callaghan to want revenge I believe he went way over the line. If he isn't at the sociopath level he's about to definitely cross the line.

Callaghan lost touch with who he was as a person. When one loses touch with himself as a person it can cause him to lose touch with humanity. To his thinking, humanity has betrayed him. If love is not present, "justified anger" can quickly turn to unchecked rage, which equals violence without fear of consequences and lack of remorse.
From Callaghan's rage addled viewpoint everyone must pay.
So, yes, I think he became a sociopath.