Nonetheless, as Bateman wanders the aftermath of his supposed spree, he finds that nothing is kind of because it appears. The realtor promoting one among his sufferer’s residences denies the house was lately the scene of a criminal offense. Bateman’s lawyer not solely treats his message like a joke however insists that he lately had dinner with one among Bateman’s high-profile victims. All of the whereas, Bateman continues seeing and listening to more and more weird, seemingly unimaginable issues as these round him insist that he’s too sq. to have accomplished such horrible issues.
That finale varieties the idea of the “it’s all in his head” interpretation of the fabric. These round Bateman seem to supply compelling proof that he couldn’t have accomplished these issues, and the character of Bateman’s last spree is absurd. He blows up vehicles with a pistol and evades the complete NYPD. Within the film, an ATM tells him to feed it a stray cat. Within the e book, he watches a Cheerio be interviewed on TV.
Those that subscribe to that interpretation argue that Bateman is a privileged, pathetic younger man whose hole life has led him to fantasize about acts of violence largely impressed by the shallow media he consumes. It’s a idea that isn’t solely seemingly supported by the textual content however is that form of “aha!” revelation that appears so intelligent that it makes some really feel silly for believing the rest.
The one downside with that in any other case fascinating idea is that it’s fallacious. On the very least, it’s a simplified studying of the occasions of the story that traditionally diminishes a few of its most necessary and interesting themes.
American Psycho’s Neglected Themes Inform The True Story
American Psycho’s most constant theme is “identification.” Particularly, it asks how one can forge and keep a definite identification in a capitalist tradition the place the consumption of the identical media, vogue, meals, and types drives folks to show themselves into roughly the identical model of the folks they imagine they need to be.
It’s that theme that helps clarify many occasions that in any other case appear inexplicable. When characters declare to have had lunch with one among Bateman’s victims, they appear to be confused about who they met. Within the film (and particularly within the e book), folks typically confuse one particular person in Bateman’s world for someone else. Even parts of their lives which can be designed to establish them (equivalent to their well-known enterprise playing cards) are hilariously just like many eyes.
