Opening the Mindscape: Revealing Psycholinguistics Study of Language and the Thoughts in American Psycho

Abstract

This study explores the language of the protagonist in Bret Easton Ellis’s novel American Psycho through the lens of the uncanny and psycholinguistic. The focus is on how Patrick Bateman’s dialogues and internal monologues reflect elements of the uncanny, contributing to the novel unsettling and ambiguous atmosphere. By employing a qualitative research method, the study conducts analysis of Bateman’s dialogues in the novel, identifying linguistics features that invoke the uncanny. The research also integrates theoretical framework from psycholinguistics and studies on the uncanny, by analyze the protagonist’s language uncovering patterns and correlations with the uncanny. The finding reveals the Bateman’s language, characterized by repetition, fragmentation, and ambiguity, creates a sense of unease and psychological instability, hallmarks of the uncanny. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between language, psychology, and the uncanny offering new insights into the complex narrative of American Psycho.