American Psycho Character Analysis - Patrick Bateman

Bateman’s identity and personality is based on a double construction. He embodies both the well-groomed image off the Wall Street business man and the gruesome image of a serial killer. Bateman takes delight in obsessively detailing his life, for example, his designer clothes, morning routine, workout routine and even his music collection. Bateman kills most of his victims because they make him feel inadequate, usually having better taste than he does. The character often doubts his own sanity and he has periodic attacks of psychosis, during which he hallucinates. He also often experiences feelings of depersonalization. Although Bateman often claims that he does not feel emotion, however, he often describes feeling rage, panic or grief-being on the ‘verge of tears’ – these emotions are usually shown whilst doing simple things such as returning videotapes or trying to get his sheets cleaned. In the middle of killing a victim, he breaks down, sobbing that he “just wants to be loved”. He takes medication, like  Xanax, to keep these attacks under control. Patrick compensates these insecurities through obsessive vanity and personal grooming. Bateman kills indiscriminately, killing a range of people, he mostly kills woman for sadistic sexual pleasure, he kills men because they anger or annoy him. Periodically, he confesses his crimes to his friends, co-workers, and even strangers just to see if they are actually listening to him. In one incident Bateman calls his lawyer and gives a long detailed and detailed confession of all of his crimes. He later runs into his lawyer, who mistakes him for somebody else and dismisses the confession as a joke, also saying that he had dinner with one the victims after Bateman had supposedly killed them, leaving the supposed reality of Bateman’s acts open to interpretation.