Picking Bateman's Brain

To add more depth to my previous blog regarding the film American Psycho, why is it that our protagonist, Patrick Bateman, spends much of his time strolling the streets of New York City (seemingly) killing innocent people?  What is his motive for doing such an act? Is it to satisfy some kind of crave, or is it just an extra curricular activity of his?  But most importantly, what goes on in that head of his? Let me provide a few theories...

First off, I think we could all agree that Patrick is one who loves to have control, power, and order.  Whether he is taking the axe to his fellow co-worker, or showing off the text of his business card, it is clearly shown that he constantly wants to be in control.  A scene that clearly demonstrates my theory would be when he takes another woman (not his fiance) out to dinner.  She is drugged, thus making her delusional.  He convinces her that they are at Dorsias (the hotspot which is frequently mentioned throughout the film, and a restaurant where it's extremely difficult to get a reservation), when it is clearly shown that they are not.  Taking advantage of her state of mind, he tells her exactly what she will order, and she obliges.  This very scene I found to be an example of Foucault's argument regarding the subject of discourse, stating that "bodies are subject to the regulatory power of discourse by which they become subjects for themselves and others." (Barker, p. 93).  So if this was connected to the dinner date between Bateman and what's-her-name mentioned above, then it is clearly shown that the woman is the subject, and Patrick is twisting this very subject for his own desires.

Let us now look at his other, more sinister activities, specifically the scene where he takes out an axe to hack away at Paul Allen, his colleague, out of sheer jealousy.  After chopping him up to bits, he finally regains a sense of control, eliminating his competition.  He is jealous and disgusted towards Paul because of several shallow factors, such as having a more expensive apartment than Patrick.  Not only do these scenes provide examples of power and control, they also display a sense of identity with Patrick.  The embodiment of the yuppie stereotype, Patrick is privileged, toned, and sophisticated, wanting no one to be above his standards.  He even tells his fiance at one point that he "wants to fit in."  He wants to build around himself a social identity that is perfect to the point where no one would see his true self.  In this regard, one could argue that his identity is anti-essentialist, which is, according to Barker, "The idea that identity is plastic." (Barker, 217).  In this sense, it is Patrick Bateman whose outside persona is "plastic," hiding behind a mask that is often threatened by those who make him feel inadequate.