Themes and message

Evil

The novel excerpt “Tuesday” by Bret Easton Ellis explores the theme of evil through the main character’s behavior. 

Evil may seem worse when it comes from someone that we never expected to show such cruelty, and this is the case with this text. Patrick Bateman’s evil side comes out unexpectedly. He is a white, privileged man who is also wealthy, and at first glance he does not appear like a psychopathic killer to the reader. However, he goes from seeming helping a homeless man to mocking and stabbing him. He also brutally injures the man’s dog.

Patrick has the power to change the homeless man’s life, but he chooses to toy with him because he knows he is financially superior and has power over Al in that moment. This power over others seems to be what is turning him on. Patrick turns out to be a vio...