American PsychoAmerican Psycho

Bret Easton EllisBret Easton Ellis

OverviewOverview

The protagonist and narrator is The protagonist and narrator is Patrick Bateman, a young very Patrick Bateman, a young very successful Wall Street dealer who is successful Wall Street dealer who is also a psychopathic killer.also a psychopathic killer.

American DreamAmerican Dream Unconventional formUnconventional form Descriptive narrativeDescriptive narrative

Methods of Self-ControlMethods of Self-Control

• Being in control of surroundingsBeing in control of surroundings• RoutineRoutine• Shift of focus away from peopleShift of focus away from people

When it All Comes When it All Comes Apart…Apart…

• Loss of composureLoss of composure• Near debilitating panic attacksNear debilitating panic attacks• Lack of moralityLack of morality• Violence and crueltyViolence and cruelty

Yuppie-ism vs. the Yuppie-ism vs. the individualindividual

Yuppie:Yuppie:1. –noun (often initial capital letter ) a young, ambitious, and well-1. –noun (often initial capital letter ) a young, ambitious, and well-

educated city-dweller who has a professional career and an affluent educated city-dweller who has a professional career and an affluent lifestyle.lifestyle.

2. a young, ambitious, professional person who earns a lot of money 2. a young, ambitious, professional person who earns a lot of money and spends it on fashionable things and spends it on fashionable things

3. 1982, acronym from "young urban professional," ousting 3. 1982, acronym from "young urban professional," ousting competition from yumpie (1984), from "young upward-mobile competition from yumpie (1984), from "young upward-mobile professional," and yap (1984), from "young aspiring professional." professional," and yap (1984), from "young aspiring professional." The word was felt as an insult by 1985.The word was felt as an insult by 1985.

Individual:Individual:1. –noun a single human being, as distinguished from a group. 1. –noun a single human being, as distinguished from a group.

2. a person: a strange individual. 2. a person: a strange individual.

3. a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, 3. a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, or item.or item.

)

Identity - OthersIdentity - Others

• Bateman is not aware of the Bateman is not aware of the identities of the majority of people in identities of the majority of people in his life:his life:

• ““Thank you, uh…Samantha” (85)Thank you, uh…Samantha” (85)• ““a very pretty homeless girl” (85)a very pretty homeless girl” (85)• ““Someone who looks like…”Someone who looks like…”• Recognition of people based on Recognition of people based on

clothing, sex, race, occupation, etc.clothing, sex, race, occupation, etc.

Identity - SelfIdentity - Self

• When is Patrick Bateman called When is Patrick Bateman called Patrick Bateman?Patrick Bateman?

• ““Owen has mistaken me for Marcus Owen has mistaken me for Marcus Halberstam (even though Marcus in Halberstam (even though Marcus in dating Cecelia Wagner) but for some dating Cecelia Wagner) but for some reason it really doesn’t matter and it reason it really doesn’t matter and it seems a logical faux pas since…” (89)seems a logical faux pas since…” (89)

• Same jobs, same clothes, same Same jobs, same clothes, same difference?difference?

The ConsequencesThe Consequences

• Who’s who?Who’s who?• Obvious social critique by EllisObvious social critique by Ellis

• ““Kill…All…Yuppies.” (374)Kill…All…Yuppies.” (374)• Is Patrick Bateman unique?Is Patrick Bateman unique?

• Potential for violencePotential for violence• Questioning of realityQuestioning of reality

Questionable RealityQuestionable Reality

• Unreported murdersUnreported murders• Multiple witnessesMultiple witnesses• Unreliable narratorUnreliable narrator• ContradictionsContradictions

Textual ExamplesTextual Examples• New ClubNew Club

He stares at me as if we are both underwater and shouts back, He stares at me as if we are both underwater and shouts back, very clearly over the din of the club, "Because... I had... dinner... very clearly over the din of the club, "Because... I had... dinner... with Paul Owen... twice... in London... just ten days ago.“ After we with Paul Owen... twice... in London... just ten days ago.“ After we stare at each other for what seems like a minute, I finally have the stare at each other for what seems like a minute, I finally have the nerve to say something back to him but my voice lacks nerve to say something back to him but my voice lacks any any authority, and I'm not sure if I believe myself when I tell him, authority, and I'm not sure if I believe myself when I tell him, simply, "No, you... didn't." But it comes out a question, not a simply, "No, you... didn't." But it comes out a question, not a statement. (388)statement. (388)

• Taxi DriverTaxi Driver"Man, your face is on a wanted poster downtown," he says, "Man, your face is on a wanted poster downtown," he says, unflinching.unflinching."I think I would like to stop here," I manage to croak out."I think I would like to stop here," I manage to croak out."You're the guy, right?" He's looking at me like I'm some kind of "You're the guy, right?" He's looking at me like I'm some kind of viper.viper.[...][...]"You kill Solly," he says, definitely recognizing me from "You kill Solly," he says, definitely recognizing me from somewhere, cutting another denial on my part by growling, "You somewhere, cutting another denial on my part by growling, "You son-of-a-bitch." (392)son-of-a-bitch." (392)

ImplicationsImplications

• HallucinationsHallucinations• Detachment from societyDetachment from society• Fantasies as coping methodFantasies as coping method• Real murdersReal murders• Absolute consumerist societyAbsolute consumerist society• Everything is disposableEverything is disposable• Women/ethnic minorities are objectsWomen/ethnic minorities are objects

Sex, Gender and ViolenceSex, Gender and Violence

Social commentary now used as Social commentary now used as justification for the descriptions of sexual justification for the descriptions of sexual violence against womenviolence against women

Gender difference in the murder descriptions of men and women

Men: the scenes are short, more public, asexual

Women: scenes are highly detailed, described ornately, sexualized, occur in private locations

Feminist CritiqueFeminist Critique

Mary Harron (2000): “Although many scenes are excruciatingly violent, it was clearly intended as a critique of male misogyny, not an endorsement of it”. (Caputi, p. 146)

Women represent a lack of power Women represent a lack of power in society. The “others” to whom in society. The “others” to whom sexual violence naturally occurssexual violence naturally occurs

““Crisis of Masculinity”Crisis of Masculinity”

• Traditional male characteristics to the extreme

• Protection of dominant position as hegemonic male

• Pornography and “real” sex, his relationships with women, the business cards, the AIDS scare, and “others” in society all represent challenges to patriarchal supremacy

The Ultimate The Ultimate ObjectificationObjectification

“There’s this theory out now that if you can catch the AIDS virus through having sex with someone who is infected then you can also catch anything, whether it’s a virus per se or not – Alzheimer’s, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, leukemia, anorexia, diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, for Christ sakes – you can get dyslexia from pussy. (p. 5)

““And as things fell apart/ Nobody paid much And as things fell apart/ Nobody paid much attention” (p. 1)attention” (p. 1)

Works CitedWorks Cited• Ellis, Bret Easton. American Psycho. New York: Vintage,

1991.• “Individual.” 25 March 2008 <http://www.dictionary.com>• “Yuppie.” 25 March 2008. http://www.dictionary.com• Caputi, Jane. Goddesses and Monsters: Women, Myth,

Power and Popular Culture. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2004.

• Storey, Mark. “‘And as things fell apart’: The Crisis of Postmodern Masculinity in Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho and Dennis Cooper’s Frisk.” Critique 47.1 (2005): 57-72.

• Tighe, Carl. Writing and Responsibility. New York: Taylor & Francis Routeldge, 2005.