Why was there such a public outcry about American Psycho? To add further dimensions to this question, this paper will try to provide a deeper insight on the functions of violence in American Psycho. To pursue that goal, this paper follows a certain structure: After providing background information on the author, historical context and also the creational process of the book itself, violence as portrayed in American Psycho will be analyzed. Therefore, a theoretical framework, which ascribes specific functions to certain forms of violence, will be created. In a second step, the forms of violence as presented in American Psycho will be discussed and classified on the basis of the previously constructed framework.
After having found, named and classified distinct features of violence and their functions in the novel, it will be investigated to what extent the horror Bret Easton Ellis has created differs from traditional illustrations of violence and horror. The overarching question of this segment will be: What did Bret Easton Ellis do differently which would explain the audience’s intensive feeling of horror? The introductory hypothesis is that American Psycho was able to use violence on various levels and with multiple functions. Violence is not solely used to assign certain character traits to the protagonist and the society he lives in but also serves as vehicle to overcome the protagonist’s problems, namely anonymity of the cold-hearted world presented in the novel. Furthermore, violence also serves as a symbol for a constant and omnipresent threat, which creates the feeling of horror.
Additionally, violence is also used as a provocation while simultaneously hinting at the absence of ethics, which then again turns out to be social criticism of the protagonist’s world. In addition to this, the horror Bret Easton Ellis creates unites well-known concepts, brands, locations, etc. and combines those with an, until then, unknown feature, namely irrational and thereby uncontrollable violence. This creates a feeling of realism which, together with the absences of ethics, moral judgment and rationality, leaves the reader behind in a more vulnerable state than solely explicit violence in a surreal setting. This hypothesis will be taken up by the end of the paper and will then be verified, falsified or further modified.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. About the author
3. Historical background
4. What is violence?
5. Forms of violence in American Psycho
5.a. Purification and Sacrifice
5.b. Overcoming Superficiality/Experiencing Realness
5.c. Aesthetics of the Ripper/Sex Killer
6. What makes the violence in American Psycho special?
6.a. Hyperrealism
6.b. Casual Silence
6.c. “And I do not hope for a better world for anybody”
7. Discussion of results
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the functions of violence within Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho, analyzing why the depiction of brutal acts in the book provoked such significant public outcry and controversy. It explores the connection between the protagonist's violent behavior and his existential desire to overcome the superficiality and anonymity of his consumerist, capitalistic environment.
- The theoretical conceptualization of violence in literature and society.
- The role of the "lust murderer" archetype and its modern reinvention.
- The impact of hyperrealism and minimalism on reader perception.
- Capitalist structures and social hierarchy as drivers for violent behavior.
- The breakdown of traditional hero narratives and the resulting nihilism.
Excerpt from the Book
Overcoming Superficiality/Experiencing Realness
As discussed in the previous chapter, Patrick Bateman fails to ascribe meaning to his life. It is dominated by randomness, emptiness and the wish for something real. Some scholars conclude that his life was and will always be an endless circle of dining in fancy restaurants, parties and murders (cf. Schnatwinkel 208) while others speak of “an existential void” (cf. Weinreich 72) which is hinted at by a crack in Bateman’s wall. Later in the novel, Bateman utters exactly those thoughts (“I’m empty, devoid of feeling” qtd. in Schnatwinkel 200). That randomness is also supported by two other aspects of the novel: Dialogue and structure. The majority of dialogues between men consists of references and sheer repetitions of well-know phrases, while the communication between men and women is illustrated as completely degenerated (cf. Alt 94). Constanze Alt comes to the conclusion that the majority of characters deliver monologues which, only due to their thematic overlapping, are mistaken for real dialogue (ibid). The feeling of superficiality is also mentioned in terms of the protagonist’s identity construction. While Bateman himself speaks of “depersonalization” (Ellis 282) and refers to himself as an entity which only appears to be human but only shares the “rough resemblance” (ibid) with an actual human being, Alt argues that all social influences exist in Bateman but he has not internalized one of them, which then reduces him to a sheer surface. Murphet adds that his identity is fiction, without any substance or a center (cf. Murphet 53).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the initial reception of the novel and outlines the research objective to analyze the functions of violence in the text.
2. About the author: Discusses Bret Easton Ellis's background, his rise to fame with "Less than Zero," and the subsequent critical reception that influenced the writing of "American Psycho."
3. Historical background: Contextualizes the novel within the 1980s economic and social climate, focusing on "Reaganomics," conservatism, and the emerging crises like the AIDS epidemic.
4. What is violence?: Outlines theoretical approaches to violence, distinguishing between physical, structural, and potential violence while referencing historical and philosophical perspectives.
5. Forms of violence in American Psycho: Categorizes the violence in the novel into purification/sacrifice, the search for realness, and the aesthetic of the sex killer.
6. What makes the violence in American Psycho special?: Analyzes why the specific application of hyperrealism, minimalism, and the breakdown of hero narratives created such an intense feeling of terror.
7. Discussion of results: Concludes that while the forms of violence are historically known, their combination with contemporary nihilism and the corruption of the hero myth made the book uniquely devastating.
Keywords
American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis, Violence, Hyperrealism, Lust Murderer, Nihilism, Capitalistic Consumption, Existential Void, Social Criticism, Hero Myth, Psychoanalysis, Literature, 1980s, Minimalism, Patrick Bateman.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on analyzing the functions of violence in Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho and explaining the causes behind the extreme public reaction to the book.
What are the primary themes discussed in the text?
Central themes include the relationship between violence and consumerism, the archetype of the "lust murderer," the impact of hyperrealism on horror, and the absence of moral guidance in modern literature.
What is the main research question or goal?
The primary goal is to investigate how Bret Easton Ellis utilized violence to create a specific kind of horror and to determine why this horror was perceived as more devastating than other literary representations of murder.
Which scientific methods or frameworks are utilized?
The author uses a purpose-orientated classification of violence, incorporating literary analysis, historical context, and psychological concepts, such as Freud’s theories on instinct and the "homo homini lupus" concept.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the conceptualization of violence, the classification of violent acts in the novel (purification, sacrifice, and realness), and a critical examination of the novel's unique narrative techniques and nihilistic ending.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include American Psycho, hyperrealism, nihilism, capitalistic consumption, existential void, and the archetype of the lust murderer.
How does the author interpret Patrick Bateman’s violence?
The author interprets Bateman’s violence as a misguided attempt to find "realness" and catharsis in an empty, consumerist world, serving as both a personal coping mechanism and a symbolic sacrifice to a corrupted capitalist system.
What significance is attributed to the ending of the novel?
The ending, with its reference to Sartre, is seen as the ultimate manifestation of nihilism, signaling that the protagonist’s mission has failed and that there is no possibility of catharsis or an exit from his dehumanized state.
How does the "American Psycho" title relate to the narrative content?
The title is interpreted as an allusion to Hitchcock’s "Psycho" and the comic "Batman," reinforcing the theme of two-sidedness and the protagonist's failure to maintain a coherent human identity.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Till Neuhaus (Autor:in), 2015, Violence In American Psycho. Forms And Function, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/704192
