With the attention-grabbing novel "American Psycho" Bret Easton Ellis entered quite a dangerous ground. The bizarre mixture of yuppie satire and splatter horror caused reactions of scathing criticism, indignation, yes, even murder threat. As a consequence, the publishing house that had the first contract with Ellis and was supposed to edit the novel, namely Simon & Schuster, responded to this radical refusal and cancelled the deal already made. This decision, not to publish a book due to the negative responds against it, meant another scandal since it was a sensation in the American publishing business. Anyway, brushing aside all moral standards, Ellis’ shocker was published in 1991 by Vintage books, and for a while, the young writer became the “meistgehaßte[…] Autor der Welt” – evidently, because critics considered his narration too pornographic, sexist, anti-women, disgusting, boring and beyond belief. Yet, American Psycho was regarded with interest – probably last but not least because Bret Easton Ellis had been celebrated as a great talent when publishing "Less than Zero".
Meanwhile, countless studies with many diverging approaches manifest that American Psycho may not be condemned and dismissed as a pure splatter work glorifying violence. There are works analysing the publication and the reception of the novel as well as the socio-cultural background; other studies focus on content and stylistic device , or on the motif of the serial killer as postmodern anti-hero. Additionally, some special analyses examine the position of the novel within the American history of censorship or even attempt to draw a parallel from Ellis’ Bateman to Goethe’s Faust.
Thus, it is substantiated that the interest in "American Psycho" has spread widely and quickly. And still, 15 years after its publication the ambiguous novel, which was, besides, brought to screen in 2000, offers many subjects of discussion.
The aim of this paper is to analyse in what way and to what extent Ellis’ work is distinctive for the period of literary postmodernism. Definitively, there are several innovative and scandalous stratagies applied in "American Psycho", but are these devices really symptomatic for a postmodern perception? To answer a question like that, first of all, an essential condition is of course a definition of postmodern terms. [...]
Table of Contents
I. Introduction and objective
II. Postmodernism and postmodern literature
III. Postmodern features in American Psycho
III.a Intertextuality
III.b Structure and style: Break-ups?
III.c Shocking the audience
III.d Breaking restrictions
III.e Opening up new spaces
III.f Meta-fiction
III.g A limited segment of the world
III.h Liquefaction of the subject
III.i Crticism against reality
VI. Conclusion
V. Bibliography
VI. Appendix:
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel, American Psycho, to determine to what extent its stylistic and thematic elements qualify as representative of literary postmodernism, specifically analyzing how the work challenges traditional narrative norms and reflects a postmodern perception of reality.
- The evolution of postmodern literary theory and its application to the novel.
- The role of intertextuality and intermediality in constructing the narrative.
- The deliberate use of shock effects and the breakdown of moral and social boundaries.
- The deconstruction of the protagonist’s identity and the concept of the "self."
- Criticism of the socio-cultural landscape of the Reagan-era.
Excerpt from the Book
III.c Shocking the audience
Ellis employs a number of shock effects – another feature of postmodern literature. Obviously, the shock-and-awe approach is especially induced by an immoderate use of incredibly bloody and brutally aggressive descriptions of sadistic murder scenarios in an exceedingly vulgar language. But there are several other stratagems causing horror and anxiety.
A first innovation concerning a sense of horror is that in American Psycho the reader is compelled to take the place and the perspective of the most perverse serial killer. This brings about a “diabolic roller-coaster of reluctant emotions”. The effect of extreme uneasiness can be explained by the fact that the perpetrator shows no repentance; he does not even reconsider his deeds. Therefore, the audience can neither bring up any feeling of understanding or relief, nor a sense of compassion.
A further shocking strategy is the application of many severe contrasts. For instance, the factual, unaffected report of confessed atrocities lacking any emotiveness three times is sharply interrupted by the documentary portrays of musicians or music bands. Only in these chapters standing absolutely outside narrator Bateman, peculiarly, shows touch of sensuous passion and ardour. This indicates that there is some strange rest of inner life in the psychopath – the realization: he is not calculable at all.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction and objective: Provides a contextual background on the controversy surrounding the novel's publication and outlines the paper's intent to analyze the text's postmodern characteristics.
II. Postmodernism and postmodern literature: Defines key postmodern concepts such as pluralism, deconstruction, and the death of the author as a theoretical foundation for the analysis.
III. Postmodern features in American Psycho: Analyzes specific devices within the novel, including intertextuality, structure, and the portrayal of the protagonist.
VI. Conclusion: Summarizes that the novel functions as an epitome of postmodern literature by intentionally resisting linear coherence and challenging reader expectations.
V. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary academic sources used to substantiate the paper’s arguments.
VI. Appendix: Provides a comprehensive register of the novel's sixty individual chapter headings.
Keywords
Postmodernism, Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho, Patrick Bateman, Intertextuality, Meta-fiction, Deconstruction, Serial killer, Social satire, Literary theory, Reagan-era, Violence, Narrative structure, Identity, Consumerism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper explores the novel American Psycho through the lens of postmodern literary theory to investigate how Ellis uses specific devices to subvert traditional narrative norms.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The themes include the subversion of genre, the loss of individual identity (liquefaction of the subject), the impact of media, the critique of societal superficiality, and the usage of shock as a stylistic tool.
What is the main research question?
The author asks to what extent the innovative and often scandalous strategies in American Psycho are truly symptomatic of a postmodern perception of the world.
Which methodologies are employed?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing upon postmodern theorists like Derrida and Barthes, while also referencing critical studies regarding the novel's reception and cultural context.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body examines various postmodern features such as intertextuality, the fragmented structure, the use of shock, the collapse of reality/fiction boundaries, and the characterization of the protagonist.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
The study is characterized by terms like postmodernism, identity, intertextuality, deconstruction, and social satire.
How does the author interpret Patrick Bateman's lack of reliability?
The author suggests that Bateman's drug-induced and fragmented perspective might either render him an unreliable narrator or serve as a manifestation of "écriture automatique," reflecting the internal chaos of a postmodern subject.
Why does the novel conclude without a resolution?
The lack of catharsis or punishment is interpreted as a deliberate postmodern choice to reflect the chaotic, unpredictable nature of real life, leaving the reader as unsatisfied as the protagonist.
How is the "liquefaction of the subject" exemplified in the text?
It is shown through the interchangeability of characters, who are defined by their possessions and clothing rather than individual personality traits, reinforcing the idea that the "self" is no longer a concrete entity.
- Citar trabajo
- Sabine Buchholz (Autor), 2006, ‘At the edge of art and insanity’, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/82600
