Setting

Time period

Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho takes place in the late 1980s. This is a period known for its economic prosperity and cultural shifts, especially in New York and the United States, as Wall Street allowed the city’s financial crisis to end in 1881. The novel takes place against this backdrop, where individuals like Patrick Bateman are consumed by their desire for status, wealth, and power. Ellis uses this time period to satirize the shallow and soulless nature of the characters, as they obsess over meaningless things and engage in increasingly gruesome acts.

Patrick Bateman and his peers are part of the “yuppie” culture of the ‘80s, characterized by their obsession with designer brands, lavish lifestyles, and the pursuit of wealth. Yuppies (short for “young urban professionals”) were typically individuals in their 20s and 30s, often coming of age during the 1980s in major urban areas in the United States. They were well-educated and typically employed in white-collar professions such as finance, law, marketing, and technology. 

Yuppie culture was heavily associated with materialism and consumerism. Yuppies were known for their pursuit of financial success and a lavish lifestyle. They placed a high value on obtaining material possessions, including designer clothing, luxury cars, and high-end electronic gadgets. The excessive consumerism of the era is reflected i...