The purpose of the human life continues to be debated throughout religion, philosophy, psychology as well as in literature; for some, yet for some it is a total lack of empathy in life which establishes a purpose for their existence. In both American Psycho and A Clockwork Orange, Ellis and Burgess explore the corrosive nature of modern humanity; 1980s American ‘yuppie’ culture and the threat of 1960s youth culture. Both Patrick Bateman and Alex DeLarge’s psychopathic traits are used as symbols of the absence of meaning that can be associated with brutal yet determined lifestyles, and represent what can be considered the exploitative nature human beings hold.
From his disgustingly wealthy lifestyle to his job and circle of friends, on the…show more content… This indicates that in a culture where everybody looks and acts the same, that Bateman’s lawyer who “had…dinner…with Paul Owen…twice…in London…just ten days ago” has mistaken another associate for Owen, just as he has mistaken Bateman for somebody else. In the consumerist culture where everybody “has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses”, Ellis is highlighting the need to fit the same ‘Wall Street’ image in order to be recognised as a respectable figure. However, the irony is that these individuals may be recognised by culture or by profession, but are unidentifiable from one another, thus indicating that they are all the same, and are perhaps all as monstrous as Bateman himself. This desire to adhere to the norms of yuppie culture is encapsulated in Bateman’s admiration for “Hip to Be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News, as he describes the “pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends”. Believing that Bateman has committed the murders infers the crimes of his culture, and society as a whole is their focus on self-image and narcissistic values, leaving them blind to an admitted serial