Vanity is the root of all evil. To what extent is this true of American Psycho and Dorian Gray? Compare and contrast how the protagonist are presented in both novels.
Both Bret Easton Ellis and Oscar Wilde use protagonists Patrick Bateman and Dorian Gray to explore whether an excessive amount of love towards one's self can lead to an inevitable decline in mental stability. Gray and Bateman, although from different eras, are presented as men who have been placed above others in society because of their physical attractiveness and, as a result of this, have a sense of entitlement. This given privilege is something that we see manifest throughout the two novels as they are both able to skilfully manipulate and control the people around them. However,
Both Bret Easton Ellis and Oscar Wilde use protagonists Patrick Bateman and Dorian Gray to explore whether an excessive amount of love towards one's self can lead to an inevitable decline in mental stability. Gray and Bateman, although from different eras, are presented as men who have been placed above others in society because of their physical attractiveness and, as a result of this, have a sense of entitlement. This given privilege is something that we see manifest throughout the two novels as they are both able to skilfully manipulate and control the people around them. However,