Alienation and loss of identity are prominent themes in both ‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J. D. Salinger. Slater’s words, “A modern world based on pure individual self-interest, ironically leaves the individual in a chronically weak condition. Without a binding collective culture, without solidarity, the individual – isolated, adrift on tides of momentary desires – is open to manipulation and the most subtle forms of freedom” (1), perfectly capture the overwhelming sense of isolation experienced by both protagonists.
In his analysis of modern society, the author compares two iconic novels: ELLIS’ American Psycho and J. D. SALLINGER’S The Catcher in The Rye. He believes that in a money-driven society where everyone stands only for themselves, individuals remain isolated in their attempts to find a sense of belonging. Born into the postmodern society of the 20th century after World War II had ended, modern generations represented by Patrick Bateman and Holden Caulfield no longer have to fight in wars or stand up for causes and beliefs – they do not have to struggle as previous generations did.
Instead, people live in a world where everything seems to be readily available to them. However, this lifestyle often leads to a spiritual crisis. In such a world, marked by America’s economic prosperity and the emergence of consumer society, individuals find themselves deprived of real freedom due to the many societal rules imposed upon them. As a result, they feel lost and without identity, leading them to desperately attempt breaking free and being different.
In The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist constantly struggles to find a place where he can fit in. This inner conflict appears innocent at first, but in American Psycho, this idea is taken to an extreme. Patrick Bateman lives in a world that embodies the American Dream, but upon closer inspection, we see that much of it is fake. The dream quickly turns into a nightmare. From the beginning of the novel, we are warned with the phrase Abandon all hope ye who enter here.
The message is clear and resonates deeply: we are entering hell. Dreadful things are bound to happen to us, and we continue at our own risk. This black comedy is set in 1980’s Manhattan, coinciding with the rebirth of Wall Street and the city reclaiming its role at the center of the worldwide financial industry. It gives us an entirely realistic insight into the lives of the rich and powerful. The book’s narrator, 26-year-old Patrick Bateman, is a young and influential American banker who embodies the typical eighties yuppie.
Flawless in every way on the outside, Bateman appears to be perfect or at least as perfect as the people surrounding him can see him. He is described by his girlfriend Evelyn, on various occasions, as ‘The boy next door’, a symbol of kindness and innocence. However, we soon learn that he is actually the opposite: a perfect specimen of an amoral society who embodies all the worst qualities such as greed, excess and vanity.
In contrast, in The Catcher in the Rye Salinger successfully tackles a different and somewhat controversial stage of youth – adolescence.
Taking place in the 1950s, closely following the Second World War in prosperous Manhattan, this timeless novel traces the protagonist’s quest for initiation, finding an identity and a respective place in society while still trying to preserve his childish innocence at the age of 16. Loss of identity is possibly one of the most important themes in both novels. The protagonists succeed in becoming the person that society knows and accepts, but they fail miserably in preserving their own identity, resorting to alienation.
Both authors successfully illustrate that each of the antiheroes they have portrayed seems to be suffocated by American society at that time. In New York, boy, money really talks – I’m not kidding,” which leads to their apparent depersonalization and eventual psychosis. While this is obvious for Bateman, in the case of Holden Caulfield, we only find out at the end that he narrates the story retrospectively from a mental institution.
Throughout the narrative, Bateman is frequently mistaken for other people, and vice versa, due to their indistinguishable appearance and behavior. For example, Owen has mistaken me for Marcus Halbersham…but for some reason it doesn’t really matter…since he works at P&P, does the same exact thing that I do, has a penchant for Valentino suits and clear prescription glasses and we share the same barber, so it seems understandable.
Ellis is clearly satirizing the fact that young characters in the upper society of Wall Street in the 80s all looked and sounded the same, aspiring to achieve the Gordon Gecko ‘Wall Street’ look. As with every satire, American Psycho presents only types rather than individuals. This uniformity results in an inability to distinguish between individuals, leaving Bateman in a morally weak state: If I were to disappear into that crack, say somehow miniaturize and slip into it, the odds are good that no one would notice I was gone. No…
One would think that Patrick Bateman, a wealthy and successful businessman, has everything he could ever want. However, he is plagued by a deep sense of loneliness and isolation that no one seems to care about. He frantically craves the simplest things that others take for granted: fitting in and finding love and belonging.
We learn that Bateman is engaged to Evelyn Williams, an equally rich and shallow woman whom he does not love. It is ultimately implied that they cannot stand each other but remain together for the sake of their social lives. Despite having a mistress and numerous encounters with prostitutes, none of these women can make him feel any joy or pleasure.
Despite Bateman’s claims of being devoid of emotion, he frequently describes experiencing extreme rage, panic, and grief. He finds himself on the verge of tears over trivial inconveniences such as forgetting to return videotapes or struggling to make reservations at fancy restaurants. Additionally, he becomes overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy when confronted with someone who appears more perfect than him.
This realization forces him to become aggressive as a means of alienation. He claims to have killed people sadistically and describes it in excruciating detail to shock the reader. However, his blunt confessions are met with complete indifference or taken as a joke because people are not really listening. They are rather waiting for their turn to speak.
“My life is a living hell […] and there are many people I want to, uh, want to, well, I guess murder,” I say this emphasizing the last word straight into Armstrong’s face.
Service has improved,” comes Armstrong’s uncaring reply. No one seems to care or even notice Bateman’s slips of straightforward honesty. Moreover, people tell Patrick they have seen his “victims” alive and well at restaurants after their supposed deaths, which suggests that even if they are really dead, they will never be missed because they were never identifiable or memorable individually anyway. In this consumerist society, lives are as interchangeable as material things.
However, one could question the realism of Patrick Bateman’s actions. Elizabeth Young deems him ‘so awesomely unreliable’ that taking him seriously is a ‘monumental tribute to careless reading.’2 His confessions cannot be taken seriously as he claims an ATM speaks to him and a park bench follows him around. Bateman also questions his sanity at times and has periodic attacks of psychosis during which he hallucinates.
Soon, he completely disintegrates. His monologue breaks into fragments and different voices. His descent into madness leaves him stripped of any feeling and any shred of identity. He says, “I have all the characteristics of a human being – flesh, blood, skin, hair – but my depersonalization was so intense […] that the normal ability to feel compassion had been eradicated. […] I was simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance to a human being.”
The seemingly endless passages describing meticulously all sorts of trivial thoughts that run through the protagonist’s head are part of a clever device used by Ellis to help define Bateman’s shallow persona. He judges people based on labels and stereotypes, not on their own personal identity. To him, nothing is more important than appearance in every aspect. As he says, She’s got a lousy personality.
So what? It’s all looks,” Bateman remarks. His unwavering attention to his appearance, adherence to a strict dress code, and pursuit of the perfect physique, as well as his fixation on acquiring the latest gadgets and securing reservations at high-end restaurants, underscore the superficiality that defined the era. These behaviors also reveal his desperate efforts to overcome his insecurities about fitting in with others.
American Psycho is centered around skillfully employed repetition. It presents a sequence of restaurant meals, clubs, and parties that are seemingly interrupted with no warning by cruel episodes of violence. The present tense narration amplifies Bateman’s dedication to this unsatisfying lifestyle that relies on repetitive self-indulgence. The characters are ‘trapped’ in this ‘modern hell’, unable to escape the pattern because, as Salinger asserts in The Catcher in the Rye with the experienced voice of a mentor, ‘Life is a game, boy.’
Life is a game that one plays according to the rules, and there is no exit. In his novel of adolescence, the author tackles the same ideas about loss of identity through a teenage icon of rebellion that almost anyone can relate to – Holden Caulfield. A decade younger than Patrick Bateman, Holden is also in pursuit of individuality and ultimately an identity. His short but meaningful journey is riddled with initiating experiences as he struggles to find purpose and meaning in an increasingly isolating world. This represents a key theme of the novel.
Similar to Bateman, Holden Caulfield treats the world around him callously. He often judges and criticizes people without making an effort to get to know them, labeling them as ‘phonies.’ This term is overused to the point where it no longer means superficial but refers to people who are too conventional or typical. For example, teachers who act differently in class than outside of class or individuals who dress and behave like their social group in order to fit in.
Holden despises ‘phonies’ without realizing that his definition of phoniness relies mostly on his own self-deception. He hates people who he thinks are trying to appear as something they are not or who refuse to acknowledge their own weaknesses, which is precisely what he is doing. Lying to others is also a form of phoniness, a type of deception that indicates insensitivity, callousness, or even cruelty. Holden himself is guilty of both these crimes: ‘When I’m with somebody corny, I always act corny too.’ He even shamelessly admits that: ‘I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.’
It’s awful. His random and repeated lying about his persona highlights his insecurities as he refuses to acknowledge his own flaws. Through his lying and deception, Holden proves that he is just as guilty of phoniness as the people he criticizes. Christopher Gohn asserts: Holden changes his clothes several times throughout the plot and assumes a number of false names in the course of the novel.” These instances emphasize Holden’s development and gradual abandonment of his old identity.
He deems that in his process of initiation, Holden has to completely leave his old self behind in order to reach maturity. However, he refuses to do so, fearing adulthood like death. Another key device Salinger uses to show alienation is Holden’s loose and rambling way of speaking which reflects his own inner confusion. He says ‘if you want to know the truth’ repeatedly throughout the novel, attempting to engage the reader into his one-sided conversation. Although he attempts many times, he cannot seem to emotionally connect with other people.
His predilection towards isolation may be a direct consequence of being expelled from three other boarding schools before being forced to attend his current one. According to the author, this boarding school serves as a metaphor for the adult trappings of corporations and clubs. Holden is placed in this institution to be stored until he is ready to enter society. He feels like a mere product shaped by social norms, and as he becomes aware of this, he attempts to escape by leaving the school. One of the biggest reasons I left [.. ] was because I was surrounded by phonies.
We can also see how alienated Holden feels and how his alienation is, in fact, a form of self-protection. He desperately needs human contact and love. Like Patrick Bateman, he just wants to talk and be listened to. Alienation is both the source of Holden’s strength and the source of his problems. For example, his loneliness forces him into a date with Sally Hayes, but his need for isolation causes him to insult her and drive her away. Similarly, he longs for the meaningful connection he once had with Jane Gallagher but is too frightened to make any real effort to contact her.
Holden’s loneliness is the most concrete manifestation of his alienation, which drives him throughout the book. The majority of the novel depicts his almost manic quest for companionship as he flies from one meaningless encounter to another. He is unable to relate to those around him and soon realizes how little he cares for this material world, and therefore, how little this material world cares for him. Similar to American Psycho, The Catcher in the Rye’s narrative is pervaded by the idea that In New York, boy, money really talks.
Holden apparently comes from a wealthy family that can afford to send him to private schools. Therefore, money doesn’t represent a real problem for him. However, living in a consumerist society has left its mark on his life, just like in Bateman’s case. Holden picks up on the usual critique of consumerism and greed: money corrupts and does not buy happiness in itself. Goddam money,” he says. “It always ends up making you blue as hell.” His own experience confirms this belief. A good example is the way he renounces his brother as a sell-out to Hollywood consumerism.
Holden’s detachment from his family extends to his parents, who appear emotionally absent in the book. He does not introduce them or provide any relevant information, stating that they’re quite touchy about anything like that.” This lack of support from a parental figure contributes to Holden’s silent contempt towards adults in general. He conceals his disdain for Spencer by nodding and agreeing with him while silently cursing him. Ultimately, Holden loses touch with his identity as he struggles between conforming and displaying rebellion.
At the end of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s psychological breakdown reaches its climax and forces him to seek help. This creates a parallel to American Psycho, as both novels end with the implication of a never-ending cycle that the protagonist cannot escape from. Therefore, this loss of identity cannot be ‘cured’. Holden maintains his defensively cynical tone throughout and although he plans to apply himself next year and fulfill his promise of recovery, it remains unclear whether he will succeed. Having been expelled from Pencey Prep at the beginning of the novel, Holden must now continue this cycle at another school.
The heroes’ problems are left unresolved at the end of the story, as it does not signify their escape. This is emphasized by the line ‘This is not an exit.’
Bibliography:
- Easton Ellis, B: American Psycho, Picador, 2006
- Salinger, J: The Catcher in the Rye, Penguin Books, 2010
Text based sources:
- Youth, E. (2001). Pandora’s Handbag (1st ed.). London: Serpent’s Tail.
- Youth, E. (1992). “The Beast in the Jungle, the Figure in the Carpet,” in Shopping in Space. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. p85-129.
- Slater D. (1997). Consumer Culture and Modernity . Cambridge: Polity Press.
P11-30: Murphet, J. (2002). Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho: A Reader’s Guide. 1st ed. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Gehrmann, G. Parallelism of Character and Concept in American Psycho and Cosmopolis. Scholarly Paper.
Schiel, S. (n.d.). Abandon All Hope” – Consumerism and Loss of Identity in Bret Easton Ellis’s “American Psycho” as an Example of Blank Fiction. Thesis (M.A.).
Gohn, G. (n.d.). American Adolescence: J.D Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Bret Easton Ellis’ “Less than Zero”. Bachelor Thesis (B.A.).
Millard, K.
(2007) Coming of Age in Contemporary American Fiction.” Great Britain: Edinburgh University Press LTD. Scarbrough, A.L., 2002. “What You Need to Read to Know Just about Everything.” 1st ed. USA: iUniverse.
Web-based sources:
- www.wikipedia.com
- www.sparknotes.com
- Mullan, J. (2010) “American Psycho” by Bret Easton Ellis – Week one: the running joke. The Guardian, [online] July 2010. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jul/03/book-club-american-psycho-ellis [Accessed: December 2011].
Moving Image sources:
- American Psycho – Mary Harron (dir) 2000
