Serial Murder, Serial Consumerism: Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho (1991)

Summary

This analysis delves into Bret Easton Ellis's "American Psycho" (1991), examining the novel's dual focus on serial murder and consumerism. The paper argues that the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, embodies the era's ultimate consumer, whose appetite extends beyond products to include his victims. It situates the novel within the broader context of 1980s America, marked by conspicuous consumption and a growing fascination with serial killers. The text also aligns Ellis with the "blank generation" of writers, highlighting a narrative style characterized by flat affect and a focus on urban excess.

Key Themes

• Seriality and Consumer Culture: The paper outlines how "American Psycho" uses serial murder to critique the serial nature of consumer culture, where desire for the new perpetuates a cycle of consumption and dispossession.
• The Blank Generation: Ellis and his contemporaries are depicted as chroniclers of their time, using their work to reflect on the vacuity and indulgence of 1980s urban life.
• Moral Vacancy and Identity: Through Bateman's character, the novel questions the integrity of identity in a consumer society, suggesting that what we consume ultimately consumes us.

Conclusion

"Serial Murder, Serial Consumerism" offers a compelling insight into "American Psycho" as a critical commentary on the intertwining of consumer culture with the notion of seriality. It presents the novel not just as a narrative of violence, but as a complex critique of the era's social and cultural dynamics.