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American Psycho

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This article is about the book. For the film based on the book, see American Psycho (film). For the album by The Misfits, see American Psycho (album). For the single by Treble Charger, see Wide Awake Bored.

American Psycho book cover The 1991 novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a first person narrative describing episodes in the life of a wealthy young Manhattanite and self-proclaimed serial killer. The novel's graphically violent and sexual content was widely commented on at the time of its release. A film adaptation was released in 2000.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Set mainly in Manhattan in the late 1980s, American Psycho is a first person account of roughly two years in the life of Patrick Bateman. Bateman, 27 years old at the beginning, narrates his serial killer antics — although the reliability of his narrative purposely appears ambiguous throughout the novel, and more so towards the end.

Bateman, a graduate of Philips Exeter Academy and Harvard (Class of '84), comes from a privileged background, and works as a Wall Street banker at the fictional firm of Pierce & Pierce. He is thus the apotheosis of 1980s yuppie culture.

A recent reprinting of the book.

The stream-of-consciousness narrative describes his conversations with colleagues — in bars, cafes, his office, and nightclubs — and satirises the purportedly vain and empty world of Manhattan yuppies.

Bateman's narrative revolves around his murderous activities, but also includes buying and returning video tapes, making and attempting to make reservations at trendy restaurants, the pursuit of cocaine in dance clubs, dates with various women, rivalries with colleagues, parties with vacuous associates, the avoiding of Luis (a homosexual non-love interest), rivalry with Bateman's own brother, and pointless disputes at restaurants and bars over the trivia of pop culture and fashion.

Bateman dates several women, including his steady girlfriend Evelyn, but has no deep feelings for anyone, and seeks sex with the women whom he sees fit. He spends excessive time in the perfection of his physical appearance, and he tries to elevate himself above colleagues. Between events in his social life, Bateman murders and tortures various victims. In spite of his confessions, he integrates successfully without being tainted by his murders. No matter how sincerely he insists on his identity as a psychopathic murderer, no one listens to what he says or believes what he tells them.

In the end, Bateman reflects on the futility of his actions and is drawn into despair. He cannot convince his own attorney of his murderous nature, and instead, is mocked for making up an unbelievable story. Such is his failure that even the thought of killing fails to arouse any feeling. The final image in the book is of a sign in a bar, declaring, 'This Is Not An Exit'.

[edit] Bateman's Homicidal Rampage

In the novel, Bateman describes how he kills and tortures many:

He kills and tortures beautiful young women ('hard-bodies'), never older than himself, whom he punishes for being what they are: friends or former friends of his — examples are his ex-girlfriend Bethany, prostitutes, and escort girls. He kills business rivals — most notably, a man named Paul Allen in his own apartment (or a man he mistook for Paul) (renamed Paul Allen, in the film version). He kills the poor, homeless, and unemployed men he chances across in the streets of Manhattan, whom he refers to as the 'genetic underclass' — for example, a black beggar whom, on a whim, he blinds and meets again at the end of the novel. He kills people from different ethnic backgrounds — for instance, in addition to the aforementioned beggar, a Chinese delivery boy, whom he mistakes for being Japanese. He kills innocent people he randomly encounters in the street, including a young boy he stabs at the zoo in Central Park, a gay man with a dog, and a saxophonist. He also kills animals such as dogs and rats, at one time murdering animals to vent his disgust at a gay parade.

During a police chase, he shoots a taxi driver, a policeman, a night watchman, and a janitor.

On three occasions, Bateman coerces two women into having sex with each other, in two cases torturing or killing them afterwards — lesbianism appears to be one of Bateman's recurring fantasies, and on several occasions he rents 'shemale' pornography.

[edit] Bateman's personality

Main article: Patrick Bateman

Prima facie, Bateman exemplifies the image of the successful Manhattan executive: he is well-educated, wealthy, unusually popular with women, abreast with cultural trends, belongs to a prominent family, has a high-paying job, and lives in a chic upscale apartment complex. Thus, Bateman passes for a refined, intelligent, thoughtful young man. But his alter-ego contrasts starkly with his public persona; under this guise, he murders and tortures his victims, engages in violent sex, cannibalises his victims, and sexually penetrates body parts of his corpses.

Bateman is extremely style-conscious, and appears an expert in fashion and high-end consumer products. In his narrative he frequently describes his and other people's possessions in exhaustive detail, even noting trivial articles like pens, socks, and pocket squares; he also describes his own wardrobe and accessories, including the material of which they are made, the name of the designer, and the store where they were purchased. Bateman incisively answers his friends' and co-workers trivial queries, authoritatively explicating the difference between various types of mineral water, which tie knot is less bulky than a Windsor knot, and the proper way to wear a cummerbund, pocket square or tie bar.

Bateman has a sinecure job, and feels no need to apply himself because of his family's wealth and influence. However, envy of his peers, in their business successes and the colossal fortunes of their families, among other things, runs throughout the novel. In one notable scene, characters compare business cards at a cafe, and Bateman panics when he sees a friend's business card clearly superior to his — because it includes a watermark. Despite his envy, Bateman is supreme in his own world, usually turning up to work late — sometimes by more than an hour — and indulging in long lunches. While in the office, he appears to spend much of his time pursuing trivial amusements, like listening to music, watching television, scribbling on notepads. At one point, he states that despite having no financial need, he prefers to hold a job simply to 'fit in'.

[edit] Themes and symbolism

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American Psycho contains many apparent elements of unreality: it is difficult to discern which are conceits of the author and which merely Bateman's fantasies.

One question often asked by readers is why Bateman is never caught despite a well-dressed detective's investigation into Paul Owen's disapearance. One man, however, accounts for his disappearence with an alibi that he had dinner with him. But in view of the recurring satirical theme that yuppies all look the same, this alibi could be the man confusing Bateman with Marcus Halberstam.

To the general reader it is unclear whether the murders were real. There are extravagant scenes of murder in which the reader might expect the victim to die — for instance, Paul Owen takes five minutes to die after being inflicted with a series of axe blows to the head. It is also surprising how Bateman's maid is unperturbed when she comes to do cleaning in Bateman's apartment, despite the clearly visible blood from a bloody murder. There are also fantastical (or possibly delusional) scenes in the book: in the closing chapter, for instance, Bateman asserts a park bench followed him home, and an ATM ordered him to feed it cats.

A recurring irony in American Psycho is that, despite the time, money, and effort the characters expend to enhance their personal appearance and stand out amongst their peers, they often resemble each other, and are mistaken for other people. Bateman himself is often mistaken by wrong names throughout most or all of a conversation; for example, Paul Owen repeatedly mistakes Bateman for a fellow colleague, Marcus Halberstam, even while Bateman takes him out to dinner, brings him back to his apartment, and murders him.

Several leitmotifs appear in the novel and film. First, there are recurring references to a Broadway production of Les Misérables. The title of this musical, one might argue, alludes to the apparent condition of Wall Street yuppies, who are the miserable ones. Second, there is Bateman's urge to "return some video-tapes," graphic, paraphilia themed pornography; throughout the book, Bateman also repeatedly rents Body Double, so he can masturbate to a scene in which a woman is killed with a power drill. Bateman frequently uses returning videotapes as an excuse when asked by jealous young women what he was doing the previous night or what he will be doing that night. In the novel this phrase is used as a euphemism for torturing and killing people. Another leitmotif is Bateman's frequent comments on the "Patty Winters Show," a fictional daytime talk-show (apparently patterned after Sally Jessy Raphael). Its sensationalistic topics are either exploitative to the guests, or simply bizarre (such as a woman with multiple personalities with names like "Lambchop"). The audience's reactions to the plights of the guests are often shallow or apathetic. As the novel progresses, the guests and topics of the program become increasingly unreal (possibly a symptom of Patrick's growing hallucinations), to the point that Patty Winters is described as interviewing a Cheerio.

The satire seems to resonate with the common theme of 1980s decadance, with its avaricious pursuit of money and worldly extravagance. Bateman's whole life seems to revolve around how others perceive him, and thus he is an expert on trends of the 80's. Yet he has no personality of his own; which exemplifies the commonly perceived "plastic" aspect of the 1980s. Evidently, Bateman and his business associates are unempathatic people concerned almost exclusively with their personal gain; throughout the book, parallels are drawn between Bateman and his peers, suggesting that Bateman's psychosis and the power of money are equally evil. Other themes of the 1980's appear in Bateman's personality, such as his disdain for homosexuals and hookers.

[edit] Controversy

  • The book was originally to be published by Simon & Schuster in March 1991, but the company decided to back off the project due to the novel's content. Vintage Books ended up buying the rights to the novel, and published an edited version of Ellis' original manuscript. Some say the book was not changed all that much, while others have contended that the version that is in circulation today is significantly toned down from Ellis' original piece.
  • According to several sources, Bret Easton Ellis received numerous death threats and hate mail after the publication of American Psycho. [1]
  • Feminist activist Gloria Steinem was among those opposed to the release of Ellis' book because of its potrayal of violence towards women. Steinem is also the stepmother of Christian Bale, who portrayed Bateman in the film adaptation of the novel. This irony is mentioned in Ellis' mock memoir Lunar Park.
  • In Germany the book was deemed harmful to minors, and hence sale and marketing were severely restricted from 1995 to 2000.
  • In Australia and New Zealand, the book is sold shinkwrapped and is classified R18 under Censorship law and may not be sold to those under 18 years of age.

[edit] Trivia

  • When Patrick grabs the axe in the bathroom, before killing Paul Allen, he holds the axe in his right hand, but when he comes out the door, it's in his left.
  • After killing Paul Allen he drags the body out of the lobby of his apartment building, leaving a smear of blood on the floor, but when he is standing by the taxi, the smear is gone.
  • When Detective Kimble first enters Patrick's office to ask him some questions, just as his secretary brings in the Pierre Water, there is a pen and notepad on the desk. After she leaves, the pen is there, but the notepad has vanished.
  • In the same scene, the secretary places the Water and glass at the corner of the table. Toward the end of the interview, the water and glass has moved toward the middle of the table and an ash tray is now sitting on the corner.
  • Real-life Canadian serial killer Paul Bernardo was a huge fan of the novel. A copy of the book was found in the bedroom of the home in St. Catharines that he shared with his wife, Karla Homolka. Controversy was generated over whether Mr. Bernardo committed his crimes in response to his fascination with the book's events. However, the book's main character, Patrick Bateman, operated on his own, whereas Mr. Bernardo's wife played an active role in helping him commit his real-life sex crimes and murder.
  • In a hint towards his mental state, Bateman claims that the saddest song he had ever heard was 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by The Beatles. However it was musical rivals The Rolling Stones who sang the song.
  • The book features an appearance by Patrick Bateman's brother, Sean Bateman, who was one of the central characters in Bret Easton Ellis's previous book, The Rules of Attraction (1987). Patrick Bateman made a brief appearance in Rules and narrated one chapter, and both Bateman brothers appear briefly in another Ellis novel, Glamorama (1998). The book also features a cameo from Paul Denton, who shared a love affair with Sean Bateman in Rules. Patrick notes how Paul stares oddly at him throughout their encounter, perhaps alluding to a recognised similarity to Sean.
  • When Patrick appears in Glamorama, the narrator (Victor Ward) notices that he has "weird stains on his lapel." This may suggest that the stains are blood and Patrick didn't imagine the murders. Conversely, because of his frequent habit of masturbating, they can also be interpreted as semen stains, a validation of the theory that the events are only set up in Bateman's mind.
  • The book includes two passages which are very similar to passages in Ellis's first novel, Less Than Zero. At page 361, the conversation between Patrick and Courtney nearly repeats a conversation from Less Than Zero page 58 between Clay and Blair. The conversation between Patrick and his mother on pages 365-66 nearly repeats a conversation between Clay and his mother at pages 18-19 in Less Than Zero.
  • Notably, Pierce & Pierce (the firm Bateman works at) is also the firm of another fictional banker of the late eighties, Sherman McCoy, of The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe.
  • The name of the real estate agent that Patrick encounters, 'Mrs. Wolfe', may be seen as a another hidden reference to Tom Wolfe.
  • In a case of intertextuality, the character of Alison Poole first appeared as the protagonist of fellow literary Brat Pack member Jay McInerney's 1988 novel Story of My Life.
  • In another case of intertextual borrowing, the artist 'Stash' may also be the same character from fellow literary Brat Packer Tama Janowitz's Slaves of New York.
  • Patrick Bateman's address at 129 West 81st Street is the same building that Seinfeld characters Jerry and Kramer live in, according to the third-season episode "The Alternate Side".
  • In the Showtime original series Dexter, serial killer Dexter Morgan uses "Patrick Bateman" as an alias.
  • Welsh rock group, the Manic Street Preachers, wrote and recorded a song entitled "Patrick Bateman" in 1992 (Manics' lyricists Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire being fans of Ellis's book). The Manics originally intended for the song to be a single, but instead it ended up as a B-side on their 1993 single, "La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)." Interestingly, the music score of the film version of American Psycho was written by another Welsh musician, John Cale, and the lead role of Patrick Bateman was played by Christian Bale, who is Welsh.
  • Ellis goes into great detail when describing the clothing in American Psycho; he has admitted that he himself is not fashion-conscious but puts in ridiculous amounts of research to get the facts right. In a recent interview he explained how he could write in such detail and how he played a little trick on his readers:
"Research. I don't like clothes. I wrote two novels, one around the fashion industry and one around clothes whores, and it was all research. It was looking through GQ and seeing what the guys on Wall Street were wearing, since every other pictorial during those two years had guys hanging out in front of various office buildings downtown. Also, what a lot of people don't realize, and what I had a lot of fun with, is that if you really saw the outfits Patrick Bateman describes, they'd look totally ridiculous. He would describe a certain kind of vest with a pair of pants and certain kind of shirt, and you think, 'He really must know so much,' but if you actually saw people dressed like this, they would look like clowns. It was a subtle joke. If you read it on a surface level and know nothing about clothes, you read American Psycho and think, 'My God, we're in some sort of princely kingdom where everyone just walked out of GQ.' No. They look like fools. They look like court jesters, most of them." [2]

[edit] International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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