Analysis Of The Book American Psycho By Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho is a novel written by Bret Easton Ellis in 1991. The book details the life and subsequent descent into madness of yuppie investment banker Patrick Bateman. Bateman appears to everyone as charming young man but is also possibly one of the most vicious serial killers in American history (whether Bateman committed the murders is left ambiguous). It takes place at the height of the Reagan era in Manhattan and is primarily a critique of the vapid and capitalist society that Bateman resides in. Ellis criticizes various aspects of American culture through both the actions and thoughts of Patrick Bateman and those around him. Bateman acts as symbol of the death of ones humanity that occurs in a superficial and nihilistic post-modern society. The things that are critiqued the most in this novel are materialism, conformity, superficiality, and the depravity of man. One of the most prevalent aspects of society criticized by this novel is the depravity of man. Ellis portrays Am erican society as a place rife with violence and horror yet is also desensitized to it. For example this is summarized perfectly on page 4 when Timothy Price (a friend of Bateman) looks through a newspaper and says the following: â€Å"In one issue—in One issue—let’s see here... strangled models, babies thrown from tenement rooftops, kids killed in the subway, a Communist rally, Mafia boss wiped out, Nazis†Ã¢â‚¬â€he flips through the pages excitedly â€Å"baseball players with AIDS, more Mafia shit, gridlock,Show MoreRelatedEssay about American Psycho: Analysis of Novel and Movie Production1618 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Psycho: Analysis of Novel and Movie Production American Psycho has been recognized as a brilliant thriller of its time and can legitimately be labeled a scandalous novel. The novel was published in 1991 by the daring author Bret Easton Ellis and was later adapted into a movie production in 2000 by the director Mary Harron. The novel endured nasty criticism to the point of rousing riots and the boycott of the publishing company, Simon Schuster; who later dropped the publication ofRead MoreThe Psycho of Wall Street: Diagnosing Patrick Bateman in American Psycho1938 Words   |  8 Pagesof certain behaviors may be difficult because there is much overlap among mental conditions. In Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, is apparently simply a psychopath. However, Bateman can be diagnosed with other mental illnesses such as Asperger’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, narcissism, and antisocial personality disorder. In both the book and film adaptation, Batemanâ₠¬â„¢s actions can be understood more accurately when analyzed in light ofRead MoreThemes Of Illusion And Reality By Bret Easton Elliss Trainspotting And American Psycho 2248 Words   |  9 Pagesacknowledge it. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh portrays a drug addict who rejects any conventions of normalcy in the pursuit of an alternate reality. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis does the same through the depiction of a rich and greedy Wall Street tycoon. This essay will closely analyze the themes of illusion and reality in Trainspotting and American Psycho. The relationship between the fantasy world and the â€Å"real† world in these texts are closely linked and aid the narrative in a criticism of social