Elements of Postmodernism in

American Psycho
Dunja Miki
Petra Jelini
Stella Ivani
Gotiki anr
Sveuilite u Zadru
31/5/2017
 Postmodern Gothic Novel
Developed out of postmodern condition
Influence of the media (TV, newspapers, movies, music)
Increasing of the realism
Wider range of context
Uncertainty of the genre
Castle city
Villains psycho-killers
 American Psycho
By Bret Easton Ellis
Published in 1991
Postmodern novel, satire, thriller, black comedy, transgressive fiction
Graphic violent scenes
Extreme description of society
Chapters as newspaper headlines
Unreliable narrator
-first person to third person
 Patrick Bateman
The stereotype of a successful man in 80s America
I had all the characteristics of a human beingflesh, blood, skin, hairbut my
depersonalization was so intense, had gone so deep, that my normal ability to feel
compassion had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure. I was
simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance of a human being, with only a dim
corner of my mind functioning
I am so used to imagining everything happening the way it occurs in the movies,
visualizing things falling somehow into the shape of events on screen, that I
almost hear the swelling of an orchestra
 -I mean dont you know anything about Sri Lanka? About how the
Sikhs are killing like tons of Israelis there? Timothy goads her.
Doesnt that affect us? -Kappamaki roll anyone? Evelyn cuts in
cheerfully, holding up a plate.
Im on the verge of tears by the time we arrive at Pastels since Im
positive we wont get seated but the table is good, and relief that is
almost tidal in scope washes over me in an awesome wave.
While the hardbody stands there we check her out, and though her
knees do support long, tan legs, I cant help noticing that one knee is,
admittedly, bigger than the other one. The left knee is knobbier, almost
imperceptibly thicker than the right knee and this unnoticeable flaw
now seems overwhelming and we all lose interest.
 Fantasy or dream

not being able to distinguish fantasy or dream from reality

swapping of identities
ambiguity of events
parallel happenings
the ending intentionally left open
 Conclusion

a perfect example of a post modern horror

critique of consumerism and materialism
questions the line between fantasy and reality in the book
character gets away with it
we now live in the gothic world