Patrick Bateman
Patrick Bateman is the main character of the novel and serves as the narrator for the most part as well. Bateman represents the typical image of a high society American, a greedy, selfish and vicious person that will exploit people when given the chance. Throughout the novel, Bateman examines every person he meets, but not through conversation or time spent with the person, rather through the clothing the person is wearing. This egocentric behaviour greatly exemplifies his lack of relationships with others. Instead of understanding people, he focuses on consumerism to figure out the kind of person they are. He even has trouble remembering his friends names and their faces. In the novel, there are several scenes where Bateman admits that all his friends look alike to him and that he constantly mixes them up. This type of behaviour displays Bateman's loneliness and isolation from others. Bateman also exhibits insanity or in particular schizophrenia. As the novel reaches the end, it is revealed that Bateman may have made up the situations of murdering all those people. When talking to his lawyer about killing several police officers, Paul Owen and many more, his lawyer tells him that it is a hilarious joke. Bateman keeps pressuring him and telling him that he actually did it, but his lawyer tells him that its impossible due to the fact that he had dinner with Paul Owen a couple of days ago. When Bateman hears this he joins his friends and begins to laugh. This particular scene in the novel can greatly explain why Bateman hasn't been caught for all the crimes he committed and that he is just insane to the point that he is imaging the killings of his coworkers, homeless people, animals and others. This also reveals that Bateman is actually a really unreliable narrator.
Patrick Bateman is the main character of the novel and serves as the narrator for the most part as well. Bateman represents the typical image of a high society American, a greedy, selfish and vicious person that will exploit people when given the chance. Throughout the novel, Bateman examines every person he meets, but not through conversation or time spent with the person, rather through the clothing the person is wearing. This egocentric behaviour greatly exemplifies his lack of relationships with others. Instead of understanding people, he focuses on consumerism to figure out the kind of person they are. He even has trouble remembering his friends names and their faces. In the novel, there are several scenes where Bateman admits that all his friends look alike to him and that he constantly mixes them up. This type of behaviour displays Bateman's loneliness and isolation from others. Bateman also exhibits insanity or in particular schizophrenia. As the novel reaches the end, it is revealed that Bateman may have made up the situations of murdering all those people. When talking to his lawyer about killing several police officers, Paul Owen and many more, his lawyer tells him that it is a hilarious joke. Bateman keeps pressuring him and telling him that he actually did it, but his lawyer tells him that its impossible due to the fact that he had dinner with Paul Owen a couple of days ago. When Bateman hears this he joins his friends and begins to laugh. This particular scene in the novel can greatly explain why Bateman hasn't been caught for all the crimes he committed and that he is just insane to the point that he is imaging the killings of his coworkers, homeless people, animals and others. This also reveals that Bateman is actually a really unreliable narrator.
Evelyn Richards
Evelyn Richards is a very attractive young blonde and is also the girlfriend of Patrick Bateman. The couple share nothing in common and have constant disagreements, but have a relationship due to their social lives. Evelyn's most noticeable characteristic is her greediness, as she is constantly requesting expensive dinners and clothes. Evelyn displays much of her greed through the things she wants from Bateman, such as a dinner at Dorsia, an expensive and unavailable restaurant. As Bateman's attempt at reserving a table for Evenlyn and himself fails, he is forced to drug Evelyn and take her to a restaurant that is not actually Dorsia. Evelyn also shows selfishness through her relationship with Bateman as she never tries to understand what Bateman wants. Close to the end of the novel, Bateman tells Evelyn about the murders and about his urges to brutally murder people, yet she ignores it and is fixated on her friends walking into the restaurant. The couple tries to avoid each other in every possible way, they go as far as to having sexual intercourse with different partners, while both are aware of these sexual relationships.
Evelyn Richards is a very attractive young blonde and is also the girlfriend of Patrick Bateman. The couple share nothing in common and have constant disagreements, but have a relationship due to their social lives. Evelyn's most noticeable characteristic is her greediness, as she is constantly requesting expensive dinners and clothes. Evelyn displays much of her greed through the things she wants from Bateman, such as a dinner at Dorsia, an expensive and unavailable restaurant. As Bateman's attempt at reserving a table for Evenlyn and himself fails, he is forced to drug Evelyn and take her to a restaurant that is not actually Dorsia. Evelyn also shows selfishness through her relationship with Bateman as she never tries to understand what Bateman wants. Close to the end of the novel, Bateman tells Evelyn about the murders and about his urges to brutally murder people, yet she ignores it and is fixated on her friends walking into the restaurant. The couple tries to avoid each other in every possible way, they go as far as to having sexual intercourse with different partners, while both are aware of these sexual relationships.
Paul Owen
Paul Owen is a young, intelligent and charismatic individual that is always striving to be the best. Owen is a close representation of Bateman, as both of them have similar tastes in music, clothes, and when Owen is introduced for the first time, Bateman jokingly says that they even go to the same barber and that his haircut is better. Although, there are many similarities between the two there are also many differences. Owen is a character that enjoys getting under the skin of others. He purposely tries to anger Bateman whenever they see each other. This behaviour of Owen's plays a big role into the psychological mindset that Bateman has. Bateman feels as though Owen is a threat due to the dominance he displays over Bateman, such as the scene with Owen talking about a reservation at Dorsia that no one else in the office could get. This enrages Bateman causing his jealousy to rise and his murderous impulse towards his jealousy for Owen. This sort of strong and superior personality that Owen has also plays into his remembrance of names for people that are unimportant to him. Instead of calling Patrick Bateman by his name he thinks Bateman is actually another person named Marcus Halberstram. This forces Bateman to feel inferior to Owen, resulting in one of the reasons for Bateman's mental breakdowns.
Paul Owen is a young, intelligent and charismatic individual that is always striving to be the best. Owen is a close representation of Bateman, as both of them have similar tastes in music, clothes, and when Owen is introduced for the first time, Bateman jokingly says that they even go to the same barber and that his haircut is better. Although, there are many similarities between the two there are also many differences. Owen is a character that enjoys getting under the skin of others. He purposely tries to anger Bateman whenever they see each other. This behaviour of Owen's plays a big role into the psychological mindset that Bateman has. Bateman feels as though Owen is a threat due to the dominance he displays over Bateman, such as the scene with Owen talking about a reservation at Dorsia that no one else in the office could get. This enrages Bateman causing his jealousy to rise and his murderous impulse towards his jealousy for Owen. This sort of strong and superior personality that Owen has also plays into his remembrance of names for people that are unimportant to him. Instead of calling Patrick Bateman by his name he thinks Bateman is actually another person named Marcus Halberstram. This forces Bateman to feel inferior to Owen, resulting in one of the reasons for Bateman's mental breakdowns.