In John Fowles' novel The Collector (New York: Little, Brown and Company: 1963) Ferdinand Clegg, an amateur entomologist, kidnaps Miranda, a beautiful artist, and holds her in an underground room. Though his actions alone condemn him as evil and immoral, the motive, his upbringing, strong sense of values and his undying adoration of Miranda, causes the reader to overlook the actions of Clegg and relate to him. The vicious way Miranda treats Clegg, who is of a lower social status, makes the reader sympathize with Clegg, dulling the evil nature of his crime.…
