Essay Comparing American Psycho And The Wasp Factory
596 Words3 Pages
In the dark essence of society, sometimes it takes a grotesque novel to stir the realization in humans that there are destructive flaws, which if not acted upon, can end mankind. In Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho and Iain Bank's The Wasp Factory, both authors take a disturbing yet intriguing look at the flaws of modern society, mainly through the use of two very unique characters. Bret Ellis' American Psycho is similar to Iain Banks The Wasp Factory in the doctrine sense that they are both critiques of modern society and in the disturbing manner that they are written, however are different in terms of theme and plot, which in turn differentiates the issues or flaws each novel broadcasts. Looking at aspects such as characters, plot, and…show more content… By comparing the main characters in each novel, it is evident that they embody the western culture population as a whole. Through noticing that the symbolism in the novel relates to the real world, it can be proclaimed that the symbolism used in these novels, indicates towards modern society. Comparing the themes in each novel assists one to see the different issues or flaws of modern society each novel captivates. By comparing the characters, symbolism, and theme, it can be argued that Iain Banks' The Wasp Factory takes a more subtle, approach than Bret Ellis's American Psycho at critiquing Western contemporary society. To begin analyzing the characters, the question as to how the differences and similarities between each main character represents modern society as a whole must be answered first. Becoming aware of the characters' personalities and habits will assist in building a better understanding as to how they embody the western culture population as a whole. In American Psycho, Patrick Bateman, the lead character, is predominantly concerned with material gain. In Bateman's views, consumerism is held to such a high standard that it consumes his whole life: “Suddenly the restaurant seems far away, hushed, the noise distant, a