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Personification
Definition of Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians... read full definition
At Harry’s
Explanation and Analysis—What's In It For Me?:
American Psycho satirizes the upper class of New York City, particularly investment bankers like Patrick. Throughout the novel, while Patrick occasionally talks about his job, and while many scenes occur in his office, never once is he actually shown working. In fact, despite their exorbitant wealth, the reader never sees the hard work that Patrick and his investment banker friends must put in to earn their massive salaries.
In the final chapter of the novel, "At Harry's," Patrick and his friends sit around a dinner table, as ever, at their favorite restaurant. Conversation turns to work, where they ask one another about the investment accounts they have been working on. But none of them seem especially interested, even after someone says that they are shifting their focus to another account; they talk over each other about all manner of other topics:
“Who’s handling the Fisher account?”
“Screw that. What about the Shepard thing? The Shepard account?”
“Is that David Monrowe? What a burnout.”
“Oh brother.”
“For Christ sakes.”
“… lean and mean …”
“What’s in it for me?”
“The Shepard play or the Shepard account?”
“Rich people with cheap stereos.”
“No, girls who can hold their liquor.”
“… total lightweight …”
“Need a light? Nice matches.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“yup yup yup yup yup yup …”
I think it’s me who says, “I have to return some videotapes.”
This passage does not indicate who speaks what line: their talk overlaps and mixes so that Patrick can't tell (or doesn't care) who says what. None of them know which account they're working on, Fisher or Shepard, and the subject is dismissed anyway when the "burnout" David Monrowe comes up. Then conversation turns to preferable topics: rich people, girls, cigarettes. The only pertinent question about the new account is a telling one: “What’s in it for me?” These men only care about questions about work if they directly lead to personal gain.
Here at the very end of the novel is the most striking display of Ellis's satire of the investment banking class. Patrick and his friends are shown to be hopelessly vain and stupid, with no real care for their jobs or for each other, only for their appearance and status. Despite their opulent homes and fancy clothes, these are selfish and incompetent men, wealthy for no discernible reason. Ellis satirizes the American meritocracy, the belief that through hard work, good character, and curated knowledge, a person can achieve success. But the investment bankers are rude, uninformed, and never seem to work, and yet are wildly successful. In doing so, he casts doubt on whether personal merit leads to success in American society.
Related Themes:
