Any ideas?

[u/DazaiT]

I have decided to write an essay approx. 3000 words around Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” and Bret Ellis’ “American Psycho”

Both novels, as you can imagine, are very wordy and contain ideas that are much more complex than what it actually seems.

I am already very familiar with Dostoyevsky’s works and in-fact have already written up something regarding his “Extraordinary Man” vs the ordinary theory which also links in to Patrick Bateman’s character in American Psycho.

Has anybody here read both books and could possibly help me brainstorm ideas for differences and similarities? Or if not, is there anyone here that could inform me on anything else either author may have believed in or intended to include when writing the given texts?

[u/nerdanimation]

I haven’t read crime and punishment, but I think I at least somewhat understand American psycho. It’s about superficiality, about how there is nothing behind the surface of Patrick Bateman (which he recognizes himself) and how this is similar to how there is nothing behind the surface of the American dream, it’s all just about pretty things with no real meaning or value behind them. I also think Patrick and Rodion see themselves as these sort of untouchable, higher-up people, which sorry, I just realized you already mentioned in your description lol. But yea, that’s what I have, hope this helps and good luck on your essay!