American Psycho
A chilling, brutal satire of materialism and indifference in the life of a Manhattan serial killer.
Summary of 8 Key Points
Key Points
- The Dual Life of Patrick Bateman
- Materialism and Dehumanization
- The Horror of Banal Evil
- Critique of capitalist society
- The disintegration of identity
- The thin veneer of civility
- Indifference towards humanity
- The unreliable narrator
key point 1 of 8
The Dual Life of Patrick Bateman
Patrick Bateman is presented as a man of dual nature. He is a successful Wall Street investment banker by day, admired for his good looks, charm and affluence. He operates within the high society of Manhattan, frequenting exclusive restaurants, clubs, and bars. He is meticulous in appearance, often donning designer suits and is overly concerned with his physical attractiveness. His obsession with status symbols and material goods is constant, often evaluating people and objects based on their price and brand name. Bateman’s conversation often revolves around superficial topics; he constantly rates the appearance of women he encounters and obsessively compares business cards with his colleagues. This life is a facade, an embodiment of yuppie culture that Bateman desperately clings to…Read&Listen More
key point 2 of 8
Materialism and Dehumanization
Materialism in American Psycho is portrayed as the main character’s, Patrick Bateman, sense of self-worth. Bateman’s pursuit of wealth, status symbols, and luxury goods is an obsession that holds him in its grip. His life revolves around the acquisition of material wealth to the detriment of his emotional and psychological well-being. He spends his days obsessing over designer suits, gourmet meals, and luxury items, equating his worth to his material possessions. His materialism is a hollow pursuit as his obsession with material possessions isolates him from meaningful and genuine relationships…Read&Listen More
key point 3 of 8
The Horror of Banal Evil
American Psycho presents a chilling exploration of the banality of evil. In the character of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker with a secret life as a serial killer, the horror of evil is not cloaked in supernatural elements or monstrous forms, but is embodied in an outwardly normal, charming, and successful individual. This banal representation of evil underscores the terrifying reality that evil can exist within the most ordinary and seemingly benign individuals. It suggests that the capacity for cruelty and violence is not confined to clearly identifiable villains, but can be an inherent part of human nature, lurking beneath the surface of any individual…Read&Listen More
key point 4 of 8
Critique of capitalist society
In American Psycho, the critique of capitalist society is embodied in the novel’s portrayal of the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, and his existential crisis. As an affluent Wall Street trader in the 1980s, Bateman is a symbol of capitalist success. Yet, he is emotionally hollow and detached from reality, embodying the spiritual emptiness that can accompany extreme wealth. His life is defined by material possessions, superficial appearances, and a relentless pursuit of status, reflecting the dehumanizing and alienating effects of capitalism. His homicidal tendencies can be seen as a violent revolt against the emptiness of his existence. ..Read&Listen More
key point 5 of 8
The disintegration of identity
The disintegration of identity in ‘American Psycho’ can be observed mainly through the main character, Patrick Bateman. Bateman, a Wall Street investment banker, is portrayed as leading a double life marked by a mundane, routine professional life by day and a grotesque, murderous streak by night. This duality is an essential aspect of his personality fragmentation, and the dichotomous nature of his identity is symbolized through his suit, which he regards as a kind of armor representing his public, acceptable persona. Beneath the polished exterior, however, lurks a violent, homicidal self, which Bateman seeks to hide from his peers and society at large…Read&Listen More
key point 6 of 8
The thin veneer of civility
In American Psycho, the thin veneer of civility is a prominent theme. The main character, Patrick Bateman, is a wealthy Wall Street investment banker who lives a seemingly perfect life. He is handsome, successful, and lives in a posh Manhattan apartment. He dines at the finest restaurants, wears designer clothes, and rubs shoulders with New York’s elite. However, beneath this facade of respectability, Bateman is a sadistic serial killer. The disparity between his polished outward appearance and his monstrous inner self is a stark portrayal of the thin veneer of civility…Read&Listen More
key point 7 of 8
Indifference towards humanity
In ‘American Psycho’, the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, embodies a profound level of indifference towards humanity. Bateman, a Wall Street executive, leads a double life as a serial killer who murders his victims, including beggars, coworkers, and girlfriends, without any apparent remorse. His indifference to human life is strikingly obvious in his insensitivity towards the pain inflicted on his victims and is further demonstrated by his lack of emotional attachments to any other characters in the novel. He perceives people as merely objects or commodities to be acquired or discarded, as suits his convenience…Read&Listen More
key point 8 of 8
The unreliable narrator
The narrative of American Psycho is presented through the perspective of its unreliable narrator, Patrick Bateman. Bateman is a Wall Street investment banker by day and a serial killer by night. His narrative is characterized by his obsession with status symbols, appearance, and materialism, which often overshadows his brutal and violent acts. Bateman provides detailed descriptions of his daily life, including graphic depictions of his violent acts, yet he often contradicts himself, leading the reader to question the reliability of his account…Read&Listen More