American Psycho Review

This was a wonderfully disturbing read to put things in a nutshell.

The toxic nature of this novel was hard to ignore. It also seems perfectly fitting for this novel to take place during the 1980's, at the height of the AIDS pandemic, where stigma was the norm. Much can be said to this point and is said in this novel.

Bateman, is a character I wanted to have pity and sympathy for, but after realizing how toxic he becomes due to the influence of his so-called friends and the privilege his personal wealth afforded him, that vanished. Bateman is the product of his own environment: it is toxic and stagnant. The way his peers objectify women and find others beneath them is abhorrent.

Hamlin proves to have a certain pull with Bateman. His reasoning to the existence of women is that women are tools for pleasure, and to extent, property to be had. Bateman takes after Hamlin. During the scene on page 92, it can be inferred that Hamlin’s sexist and misogynistic views seep into Patrick’s personality. Whether Patrick himself is aware of this is unclear.

Bateman's "friends" are contributing factors to his toxic nature. Price is by far the most toxic I've observed. He is never satisfied, he demands perfection, he finds the less privileged below him and worthless, something Bateman subconsciously incorporates into his own character. Bateman’s story is a twisted coming-of-age for a human monster.

Further, the group gathering leave one to believe that they view others as lesser. The way they treat waiters and even demean restaurant’s that do not cater to their every demand or serve certain things they enjoy reflects their immature and apathetic personalities.  

Patrick’s shortcomings as a person are very evident during his intercourse with Courtney. His tantrum during the entire encounter is reminiscent of a child who doesn’t get exactly what he wants. His lack of empathy is clearly evident in his encounter with her. He even forces himself back inside of her. This encounter marks him as a rapist. Further, he may even get pleasure from her emotional break down during intercourse.  

Bateman’s intercourse with Courtney reveals another aspect to his personality. His lack of empathy. This aspect reflects his (as well as his so-called friends) own views on emotions, with the exception of anger. Bateman strikes one as the kind of character who sees any other emotion as a sign of weakness. He’s the atypical (almost stereotypical) male whose status will not be questioned and whose demands must be met. In comparison, he is similar to Okonkwo from Achebe’s Things Fall Apart where anger is the only permissible emotion and where women are seen as property not people.

It is subtle, but Bateman's spiral into his own darkness is present. In a way, it was omnipresent. The first-person POV hid it, and perhaps it is this POV that made it so obvious that a reader could miss it simply due to them being in the thick of it. In an odd, and morbid way, the narrative is similar to engaging with Bateman in a conversation in which he attempts to garner sympathy and attempt to sway the reader into his way of thinking.

Another disturbing aspect of Bateman put forth from the writing is his obsession with fashion and with the finer things in life. He nit-picks what he wears and goes into great detail about it and give his opinion on the fashion of others to which add to his disdain for others who he views as lesser.
  

In Neil Gaiman's Sandman series the quote "Never trust the storyteller, only the story" comes to mind. Bateman may not be a liar, but I find his character attempting to garner a morbid form of sympathy: he tries to justify his actions through his status as a white male of wealth. This in itself is toxic. His own perspective of himself is ultimately destructive other others and to himself.

Thematically, this novel speak volumes. A solid novel, American Psycho points out that the rigid standard of success in American life is contradictory and destructive.

           

 Bateman is a character caught in the gears of the American corporate machine. He possesses numerous flaws and short-comings, many of which he seems unaware and which drive him mad. He certainly has delusions about himself and the society around him.

First-World problems much? Yes.