To understand Dickie Greenleaf is to understand the He has everything, yet he is hollow. He represents the allure of aesthetic perfection over moral substance.

Once Dickie is dead, Tom can curate him. He writes letters as Dickie, committing acts of kindness Dickie never would have done. Tom creates a "better" Dickie through forgery—a Dickie who loves Marge, a Dickie who travels. Tom becomes the author of Dickie’s life.