Aaron Stampler
Encyclopedia
Aaron Stampler is a fictional character in William Diehl
's 1993 novel Primal Fear
and its two sequels, Show of Evil
(1995) and Reign in Hell
(1997).
town of Crikside, Kentucky
, and was subjected to systematic physical
, emotional and sexual abuse
from a young age. In public, he often appears meek and frightened, with a severe stutter. He recalls going down into the mine as a child with his father, and being so terrified that he vowed to never go down there again. As a result, he suffers from a phobia
of being trapped in the dark.
He loses his virginity
at age 14 to Rebecca Nolan, one of his (much older) teachers.
At 16, Stampler runs away to Chicago
, where he is homeless until he is taken in by Richard Rushman, the city's beloved Archbishop, who gives him a home in a mission for disadvantaged youth. Rushman seems to dote on Stampler, making him head of the mission's altar boys and featured soprano
in the choir, and introducing him to his first real girlfriend, Linda. There is a darker, hidden side to their relationship, however; Rushman is a child molester, and forces Stampler, Linda, and the other altar boys to perform in videotaped child pornography
.
The abuse goes on for three years until Rushman is brutally murdered. Stampler is arrested immediately after the murder, covered in Rushman's blood. He is dubbed "the Butcher Boy" in the media and becomes the most hated man in Chicago — attracting him to Martin Vail, a hotshot defense attorney who wants to represent him for the publicity
. Stampler swears to Vail he didn't kill Rushman, claiming that he had been with the archbishop but had blacked out, awakening to find him dead.
One day, after Vail questions him harshly, Stampler flies into a rage and literally becomes like a different person; his stutter gone, he now appears to be a cunning, violent sociopath
, and begins identifying himself as "Roy". He then brags about killing Rushman. Vail and court psychiatrist
Molly Arrington realize that Stampler suffers from disassociative identity disorder and that the "Roy" persona had in fact committed the murder, as well as several others beginning when Stampler was as young as five. Arrington explains that "Roy" takes over whenever "Aaron" feels threatened, and acts out on the violent impulses Stampler is too traumatized
to express.
"Roy" emerges in the middle of the trial, attacking prosecutor Jane Venable in the middle of her cross-examination
. Stampler is found insane by the court and sentenced to a mental institution. Vail, who by now has come to care about Stampler, feels that justice was done — until Stampler reveals to him that he had been faking the whole time. In reality, the "Aaron" persona had been an act, and he was merely being himself when he became "Roy". Angered that Vail had not introduced Rushman's child porn tapes into evidence, Stampler taunts Vail by admitting that he had been perfectly sane
each time he committed murder; he is confident that Vail will never reveal the truth for fear of ruining his career.
and disguises himself as a blind
Baptist
preacher, part of a scam to bilk people out of their money and get access to their teenage daughters. He aligns himself with a survivalist militia
, which attracts the attention of his archenemy Vail, who now works for the U.S. Attorney's
office.
In the novel's climax
, as the militia surrenders to federal agents in what turns into a Branch Davidian
-like shootout, Stampler tries to escape in the clothes of an agent he'd murdered. He is shot and killed by an agent after Vail, who had accompanied federal authorities, recognizes him.
in the 1996 film adaptation
of Primal Fear. Norton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
for his performance.
William Diehl
William Diehl was an American novelist and photojournalist.He had two childern, a boy and a girl from whom he was estranged....
's 1993 novel Primal Fear
Primal Fear (novel)
Primal Fear is the 1993 thriller novel by William Diehl about Aaron Stampler, an altar boy accused of murder and Martin Vail, the attorney defending him. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1996, starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton....
and its two sequels, Show of Evil
Show of Evil
Show of Evil is a 1995 novel by William Diehl, the sequel to Primal Fear.-Plot summary:Ten years after saving Aaron Stampler from the death penalty, Martin Vail — now a district attorney — is plagued by his client-turned-archnemesis once again when a series of murder victims turn up...
(1995) and Reign in Hell
Reign in Hell (novel)
-Plot:Martin Vail, now a U.S. Attorney, is assigned a case in which he must go up against a survivalist militia — and unexpectantly encounters his archnemesis, Aaron Stampler, seemingly back from the dead and posing as a blind Baptist preacher....
(1997).
In Primal Fear
The novel reveals that Stampler was born and raised in the tiny (fictional) Appalachian miningMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
town of Crikside, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and was subjected to systematic physical
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, emotional and sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
from a young age. In public, he often appears meek and frightened, with a severe stutter. He recalls going down into the mine as a child with his father, and being so terrified that he vowed to never go down there again. As a result, he suffers from a phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
of being trapped in the dark.
He loses his virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
at age 14 to Rebecca Nolan, one of his (much older) teachers.
At 16, Stampler runs away to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where he is homeless until he is taken in by Richard Rushman, the city's beloved Archbishop, who gives him a home in a mission for disadvantaged youth. Rushman seems to dote on Stampler, making him head of the mission's altar boys and featured soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
in the choir, and introducing him to his first real girlfriend, Linda. There is a darker, hidden side to their relationship, however; Rushman is a child molester, and forces Stampler, Linda, and the other altar boys to perform in videotaped child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
.
The abuse goes on for three years until Rushman is brutally murdered. Stampler is arrested immediately after the murder, covered in Rushman's blood. He is dubbed "the Butcher Boy" in the media and becomes the most hated man in Chicago — attracting him to Martin Vail, a hotshot defense attorney who wants to represent him for the publicity
Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion which is one...
. Stampler swears to Vail he didn't kill Rushman, claiming that he had been with the archbishop but had blacked out, awakening to find him dead.
One day, after Vail questions him harshly, Stampler flies into a rage and literally becomes like a different person; his stutter gone, he now appears to be a cunning, violent sociopath
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
, and begins identifying himself as "Roy". He then brags about killing Rushman. Vail and court psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Molly Arrington realize that Stampler suffers from disassociative identity disorder and that the "Roy" persona had in fact committed the murder, as well as several others beginning when Stampler was as young as five. Arrington explains that "Roy" takes over whenever "Aaron" feels threatened, and acts out on the violent impulses Stampler is too traumatized
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
to express.
"Roy" emerges in the middle of the trial, attacking prosecutor Jane Venable in the middle of her cross-examination
Cross-examination
In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination and may be followed by a redirect .- Variations by Jurisdiction :In...
. Stampler is found insane by the court and sentenced to a mental institution. Vail, who by now has come to care about Stampler, feels that justice was done — until Stampler reveals to him that he had been faking the whole time. In reality, the "Aaron" persona had been an act, and he was merely being himself when he became "Roy". Angered that Vail had not introduced Rushman's child porn tapes into evidence, Stampler taunts Vail by admitting that he had been perfectly sane
Sanity
Sanity refers to the soundness, rationality and healthiness of the human mind, as opposed to insanity. A person is sane if they are rational...
each time he committed murder; he is confident that Vail will never reveal the truth for fear of ruining his career.
In Show of Evil
In the sequel to Primal Fear, set 10 years later, Stampler is released from the institution and persuades his former lover, Nolan, to kill the other altar boys and Linda, to get revenge on people he thinks have betrayed him without casting suspicion on himself. Vail finds him out, tracks him back to Kentucky, and foils his plan. Vail pays a price for it, however, when Stampler kills Arrington, who had also briefly been Vail's lover, and beats Venable (who is now in a relationship with Vail) so badly that she loses an eye. Nolan is killed in a shootout with police and Vail chases Stampler to the feared coal mine of his childhood, which he falls into to his (apparent) death.In Reign in Hell
The final novel in the series reveals that Stampler survives the fall. He then travels to rural TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and disguises himself as a blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher, part of a scam to bilk people out of their money and get access to their teenage daughters. He aligns himself with a survivalist militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, which attracts the attention of his archenemy Vail, who now works for the U.S. Attorney's
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
office.
In the novel's climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
, as the militia surrenders to federal agents in what turns into a Branch Davidian
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
-like shootout, Stampler tries to escape in the clothes of an agent he'd murdered. He is shot and killed by an agent after Vail, who had accompanied federal authorities, recognizes him.
In other media
Aaron Stampler was portrayed by Edward NortonEdward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
in the 1996 film adaptation
Primal Fear (film)
Primal Fear is a 1996 American crime drama thriller film directed by Gregory Hoblit and starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. The film tells the story of a defense attorney, Martin Vail , who defends an altar boy, Aaron Stampler , charged with the murder of a Catholic archbishop. The movie is an...
of Primal Fear. Norton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for his performance.