Running head: PATRICK BATEMAN 1 Examining the Personality of Patrick Bateman of American Psycho Christopher Schaffer Walden University Abstract Patrick Bateman of Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho presents a unique challenge for personality theories. Examined is how psychoanalytic theory applies to this character. He represents an almost total lack of ego, a superego based on a deviant morality, and an id allowed to act out its most depraved fantasies. This shows how the superego and id can form a perverse pact capable of producing sadistic violence and a loss of distinction between reality and fantasy. These unique conditions also allow self -actualization to be explored from a viewpoint that any behavior can be actualizing. Though we could consider him evil, Bateman has his needs met along the hierarchy until his violent expressions become a perpetuation of deviant ideals that are, in a sense, shared with his victims. This atypical use of theories demonstrates the value of extreme characters in fiction for testing the limits of theoretical perspectives. Keywords: Patrick Bateman, American Psycho, Psychoanalysis, Actualization, Personality, Violence Examining the Personality of Patrick Bateman of American Psycho ersonality, or character, analysis to describe and understand theoretical perspectives is an art form that can allow exploration of unique combinations of theory and to examine less frequently used parts of theory. In this case Patrick Bateman, of the novel American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis (1991), will be used to describe concepts of psychoanalytic and humanistic personality theory. This analysis will look at how an individual lacking a strong ego and having a superego script that follows an atypical moral code can lead to a disinhibition of the id. In turn, the unique conditions considered in psychoanalytic theory to examine Patrick's violent and sexually violent behavior in terms of actualization. Both parts of this analysis look at nontraditional aspects of the respective personality theories. The closest analogues to Patrick Bateman in reality are persons like Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, Jeff Skilling, and Donald Trump. Bateman is a serial murderer (if we believe his narration), who commits depraved acts against many of his victims, he is very successful in the world of finance, and he is fully in tune with the cutthroat rules of corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions, and the post modern urban landscape. A full description of what is learned about Bateman in the novel and film will provide the detail necessary to examine the personality theories selected. Patrick Bateman Fully Considered "Abandon all hope ye who enter here ..." (Ellis, 1991, p. 3) These are the first words from the mind of Patrick Bateman. They are also the words that grace the gateway to hell in Dante Alighieri's Inferno (1995). Words such as these could just as P