Archetypes
Patrick Bateman’s varied personality makes him a nuanced character that fits many archetypes. Firstly, he is the archetypal psychopath. He feels no remorse for his various murders, suffers from a lack of empathy, and is a pathological liar. He is similar to the famous character Dexter Morgan from the Showtime television series “Dexter”. Furthermore, Patrick is an archetypal upper-class snob due to his greed, wealth, and promiscuous lifestyle. He also fits the archetype of the wealthy, but unfulfilled man. Similar to Ebenezer Scrooge, or Citizen Kane, Patrick has material wealth and yet struggles to find happiness.
Evelyn Richards is the archetypal rich young woman. She has a rich father, is in an unloving relationship, and frequently talks about fashion and her social life with no regard for whether or not someone is interested.
Finally, American Psycho has the archetypal journey. Patrick has a mysterious birth, as nothing about his childhood or father is ever mentioned. He is called to adventure, by his quest to find a meaningful relationship and to be acknowledged as who he is. He struggles with that quest, as the people he confesses his murders to never seem to notice or care. His supreme ordeal comes when he is on the verge of being caught by the police, and has yet to be validated by anyone for his murders. Desperation leads to him confessing everything to his lawyer in a last ditch attempt to be understood. He triumphs by escaping from the police, and managing to have another chance at life. He returns home, and by the end of the novel has gained deeper understanding of his existence. He understands that he “[will] NOT [find] AN EXIT” (Ellis, 434), because his quest for validation is unattainable in a society as apathetic and narcissistic as the one he inhabits.
Patrick Bateman’s varied personality makes him a nuanced character that fits many archetypes. Firstly, he is the archetypal psychopath. He feels no remorse for his various murders, suffers from a lack of empathy, and is a pathological liar. He is similar to the famous character Dexter Morgan from the Showtime television series “Dexter”. Furthermore, Patrick is an archetypal upper-class snob due to his greed, wealth, and promiscuous lifestyle. He also fits the archetype of the wealthy, but unfulfilled man. Similar to Ebenezer Scrooge, or Citizen Kane, Patrick has material wealth and yet struggles to find happiness.
Evelyn Richards is the archetypal rich young woman. She has a rich father, is in an unloving relationship, and frequently talks about fashion and her social life with no regard for whether or not someone is interested.
Finally, American Psycho has the archetypal journey. Patrick has a mysterious birth, as nothing about his childhood or father is ever mentioned. He is called to adventure, by his quest to find a meaningful relationship and to be acknowledged as who he is. He struggles with that quest, as the people he confesses his murders to never seem to notice or care. His supreme ordeal comes when he is on the verge of being caught by the police, and has yet to be validated by anyone for his murders. Desperation leads to him confessing everything to his lawyer in a last ditch attempt to be understood. He triumphs by escaping from the police, and managing to have another chance at life. He returns home, and by the end of the novel has gained deeper understanding of his existence. He understands that he “[will] NOT [find] AN EXIT” (Ellis, 434), because his quest for validation is unattainable in a society as apathetic and narcissistic as the one he inhabits.
Symbols
The Color White
Patrick’s apartment is almost entirely the color white. Much of his furniture is also white, giving his apartment a blank feel. The color white symbolizes a blank canvas in American Psycho which is essentially what Patrick’s character is. He is empty emotionally, and also personally. The color white represents the blankness of Patrick, a man whose personality is based entirely off replicating what he sees in others.
Donald Trump
Patrick’s obsession with Donald Trump is never quite explained, but it is symbolic of something unattainable. Patrick, despite all his attempts, never sees or meets Trump, giving his quest a sense of futility. The unattainable status of Donald Trump is symbolic of the happiness that lies out of Patrick’s reach, the solace he will never find.
Cannibalism
Patrick’s cannibalism is symbolic of consumerism, as he consumes people instead of products. His mindless devouring of corpses is symbolic of the way society frantically consumes goods and brand names in an attempt to gain some kind of purpose or identity.
The Color White
Patrick’s apartment is almost entirely the color white. Much of his furniture is also white, giving his apartment a blank feel. The color white symbolizes a blank canvas in American Psycho which is essentially what Patrick’s character is. He is empty emotionally, and also personally. The color white represents the blankness of Patrick, a man whose personality is based entirely off replicating what he sees in others.
Donald Trump
Patrick’s obsession with Donald Trump is never quite explained, but it is symbolic of something unattainable. Patrick, despite all his attempts, never sees or meets Trump, giving his quest a sense of futility. The unattainable status of Donald Trump is symbolic of the happiness that lies out of Patrick’s reach, the solace he will never find.
Cannibalism
Patrick’s cannibalism is symbolic of consumerism, as he consumes people instead of products. His mindless devouring of corpses is symbolic of the way society frantically consumes goods and brand names in an attempt to gain some kind of purpose or identity.
Imagery
Bret Easton Ellis uses imagery in all of American Psycho’s murder scenes, appealing to almost all of the reader’s senses. He describes the smell of decaying flesh, the taste of human flesh, the noise that Patrick’s victims make, and is incredibly descriptive visually as well. The graphic nature of the murder scenes is brought to life through Ellis’ vivid use of imagery which serves to completely engross the reader in the murders, leaving them sickened. During Paul Owen's murder, Bateman describes the gore all to well, mentioning "hissing noise actually coming from the wounds in Paul's skull...followed by a rude farting noise caused by a section of his brain...his tongue hang[ing] out of an open gash" (Ellis, 235). The amount of detail that Bateman provides forces the reader to envision the murders as if they are happening right in front of them. The unrelenting description of Patrick’s gruesome crimes forces the reader to confront just how despicable the protagonist is.
Bret Easton Ellis uses imagery in all of American Psycho’s murder scenes, appealing to almost all of the reader’s senses. He describes the smell of decaying flesh, the taste of human flesh, the noise that Patrick’s victims make, and is incredibly descriptive visually as well. The graphic nature of the murder scenes is brought to life through Ellis’ vivid use of imagery which serves to completely engross the reader in the murders, leaving them sickened. During Paul Owen's murder, Bateman describes the gore all to well, mentioning "hissing noise actually coming from the wounds in Paul's skull...followed by a rude farting noise caused by a section of his brain...his tongue hang[ing] out of an open gash" (Ellis, 235). The amount of detail that Bateman provides forces the reader to envision the murders as if they are happening right in front of them. The unrelenting description of Patrick’s gruesome crimes forces the reader to confront just how despicable the protagonist is.