Tuesday

This study guide will help you analyze the text “Tuesday” by Bret Easton Ellis, which is an excerpt from the novel American Psycho. You can also find a summary of the text, as well as inspiration for interpreting it and putting it into perspective.

Presentation of the text

Title: “Tuesday” (1991)
Author: Bret Easton Ellis
Genre: Novel excerpt

Bret Easton Ellis (b. 1964) is an American novelist and screenplay writer. He mostly writes satire and his characters are inspired by common people. His most popular works include American Psycho (1991) and Less Than Zero (1985), which were both also adapted into movies. “Tuesday” is an extract from the novel American Psycho.

Extract

Here, you can read an extract from our study guide:

Social setting

The social setting explores class dynamics. This is expressed through the enormous contrast in wealth between Patrick and Al.

Patrick Bateman is a rich man who appears to feel entitled to his position in society. Patrick is obsessed with materialistic goods and he is focused on what other people wear and how they present themselves. However, even if he has power and privilege, the way he presents himself is all façade. He has no human qualities or compassion for other people.

Patrick also seems to look down on people who are unemployed, believing it must be because of a lack of motivation or because of a negative attitude. This could be one of the reasons he kills Al. He simply does not consider Al worthy of living, which shows that Patrick acts almost like a god...