Date of Award
Spring 2023
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Media & Communication; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Lisa Holderman
Abstract
This paper delves into the multifaceted exploration of Patrick Bateman's psyche in the film 'American Psycho' (2000) through the lens of the gaze. By dissecting the cinematic representation of Bateman's abjection, dejection, and his insatiable desire to possess the abject, this analysis reveals how the movie employs visual and thematic elements to exemplify his abject status. Furthermore, it underscores the film's portrayal of Bateman's quest to transcend the constraints of his privileged position, which ultimately destabilizes him due to his lack of a coherent identity.
Throughout the film, Patrick Bateman emerges as a character who is both eroticized and humiliated. The film utilizes humorous and objectifying moments, such as Bateman's comically strenuous exercise routines and meticulous skincare rituals, to reinforce the absence of a genuine identity within him.
Bateman's engagement with the abject is most pronounced through the gruesome acts he commits, often stemming from his intense revulsion toward others, particularly women and the homeless, whom he ruthlessly eliminates. Paradoxically, he also desires these very individuals, not on an emotional level, but rather as objects of domination.
The film demonstrates Bateman's pursuit of the abject as a means to establish his identity, even though he lacks a substantial one from the outset. His extensive monologues about music, politics, and his job serve as futile attempts to construct a meaningful existence, revealing the hollowness of his character.
In his desperate effort to manipulate his surroundings and demarcate the boundaries of his being through his acts of violence, Bateman ultimately strays further from any semblance of self. As he himself declares, he is not truly present, further emphasizing the film's exploration of the fragile nature of identity in a society marked by privilege and excess.
Recommended Citation
Mapes, Danita, "This is Not an Exit: Abjection and Identity in American Psycho" (2023). Capstone Showcase. 4.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2023/media_communication/4
This is Not an Exit: Abjection and Identity in American Psycho
This paper delves into the multifaceted exploration of Patrick Bateman's psyche in the film 'American Psycho' (2000) through the lens of the gaze. By dissecting the cinematic representation of Bateman's abjection, dejection, and his insatiable desire to possess the abject, this analysis reveals how the movie employs visual and thematic elements to exemplify his abject status. Furthermore, it underscores the film's portrayal of Bateman's quest to transcend the constraints of his privileged position, which ultimately destabilizes him due to his lack of a coherent identity.
Throughout the film, Patrick Bateman emerges as a character who is both eroticized and humiliated. The film utilizes humorous and objectifying moments, such as Bateman's comically strenuous exercise routines and meticulous skincare rituals, to reinforce the absence of a genuine identity within him.
Bateman's engagement with the abject is most pronounced through the gruesome acts he commits, often stemming from his intense revulsion toward others, particularly women and the homeless, whom he ruthlessly eliminates. Paradoxically, he also desires these very individuals, not on an emotional level, but rather as objects of domination.
The film demonstrates Bateman's pursuit of the abject as a means to establish his identity, even though he lacks a substantial one from the outset. His extensive monologues about music, politics, and his job serve as futile attempts to construct a meaningful existence, revealing the hollowness of his character.
In his desperate effort to manipulate his surroundings and demarcate the boundaries of his being through his acts of violence, Bateman ultimately strays further from any semblance of self. As he himself declares, he is not truly present, further emphasizing the film's exploration of the fragile nature of identity in a society marked by privilege and excess.