Allegory In American Psycho
Money, as powerful and necessary as it seems, cannot buy happiness. Through the life of Patrick Bateman, Bret Easton Ellis, in his novel American Psycho, seeks to show those who feel that their life would be more complete and fulfilling if they were wealthy is not the case. He attempts to persuade the reader through logic, ethics, emotion, and tone by using vivid imagery, a varied syntactical approach, extravagant diction, and a brilliant use of allegory.
The masterful imagery used in the novel appeals to the emotional side of the reader through the use of an overarching and all-encompassing analysis of the attire of Bateman and his acquaintances throughout the novel. One instance of such an analysis can be found when Bateman is eating
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One example of such imagery is presented through the thorough description of Bateman’s morning routine. Ellis writes,”Then I use the Probright tooth polisher and next the Interplak tooth polisher (this is in addition to the toothbrush) which has a speed of 4200 rpm and reverses direction forty-six times per second; the larger tufts clean between teeth and massage the gums while the short ones scrub the tooth surfaces” (26). This is just one step in the extremely arduous and monotonous ritual that is performed daily by Patrick Bateman. These lengthy yet vivid descriptions serve to show that the lives of the rich and famous are just as routine as the lives of the common people, perhaps in a different sense, but altogether still rather monotonous. Another example given by Ellis is the intensity of Bateman’s rigorous exercise regimen. This description is of exercise after exercise that are performed not necessarily to stay in shape but to boost the way in which others see him and therefore think of him. This description of Bateman’s routine is included to show the reader that being wealthy means doing things that a person might not necessarily want to do but is forced to do to keep up a reputation with others. Both of these descriptions, through listing tasks, appeal to the reader’s logic and show that the lives of the wealthy are not much different from his or her own and are sometimes
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