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Courtney Lawrence
Jean is Patrick Bateman’s secretary, or, as he refers to her, “my secretary who is in love with me.” She does, indeed, seem to care deeply for Bateman, doting on him in the office and following whatever orders he may give her, whether it be a business task, making a reservation at a restaurant, or dressing or acting in a particular way when in his presence. Throughout the course of the novel, the two appear to grow closer (Bateman even takes Jean to dinner one night) but he ultimately shirks off her affection and nothing more comes of it.
Jean Quotes in American Psycho
The American Psycho quotes below are all either spoken by Jean or refer to Jean. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Office Quotes
“Don’t wear that outfit again,” I say, looking her over quickly… “do not wear that outfit again. Wear a dress. A skirt or something… You’re prettier than that… And high heels,” I mention. “I like high heels.”
She shakes her head good-naturedly as she exits…
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Explanation and Analysis:
Bateman views women as nothing more than objects. Whether it’s Jean, his secretary, Evelyn, his girlfriend, or a prostitute he hires, he believes women exist only to serve him and to aid in his pleasure, whether it be sexual or simply visual. Furthermore, because Jean works for Bateman and thus, in his mind, belongs to him, she is an extension of the persona of perfection, style, and dominance that he presents, and therefore must align her appearance with his standards. Bateman’s objectification of women will play a large role in his descent into reckless and sadistic killing; if a woman Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam off
Dinner with Secretary Quotes
And though it has been in no way a romantic evening, she embraces me and this time emanates a warmth I’m not familiar with. I am so used to imagining everything happening the way it occurs in movies, visualizing things falling somehow into the shape of events on a screen, that I almost hear the swelling of an orchestra, can almost hallucinate the camera panning low around us, fireworks bursting in slow motion overhead, the seventy-millimeter image of her lips parting and the subsequent murmur of “I want you” in Dolby sound.
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Here Bateman reveals not only his cold isolation, but his deep awareness of it. He knows that he feels no connection to others and has the (quite beautiful) language to discuss it. He is then taken aback not only by Jean’s actions (here, embracing him) but by the honesty and warmth of her connection. Bateman’s description of this moment through the lens of a film demonstrates his ability to dissociate from his life and the world around him. Even while he’s in the middle of a moment, Bateman is able to step back from it, analyze it, and give a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Un
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Jean Character Timeline in American Psycho
The timeline below shows where the character Jean appears in American Psycho. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Office
Bateman enters his office and is greeted by his secretary, Jean, “who is in love with me and who I will probably end up marrying.” She...
(full context)
Business Meeting
...incredibly hung over from the previous night’s drinking and cocaine binge. He is rude to Jean when she tells him he has a meeting to attend that afternoon, and when she...
(full context)
A Glimpse of a Thursday Afternoon
...called as the phone continues to ring. On the other end of the line is Jean. He tries to have a conversation with her, struggling both to make out what she’s...
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Shopping
...holiday shopping list and his plans for purchasing. He says he could have just sent Jean on this errand, but has decided to do it himself. On the way to Saks,...
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Dinner with Secretary
...of work, and Evelyn is away in Boston for the weekend. Just outside his door, Jean is sitting working through a large stack of papers he’s asked her to take care...
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...the only name left not crossed off is Schrawtz, a reservation for two. He tells Jean to go to the bathroom; she argues that she doesn’t have to, but eventually complies....
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...and are able to be seated. They have a meal that Bateman considers mediocre, but Jean seems to enjoy just fine. She asks him about himself, noting that he seems strange...
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Jean accepts this excuse, and the two shake hands before embracing. For a brief moment, Bateman...
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Detective
It’s now August. Bateman is sitting in his office when Jean tells him a Mr. Donald Kimball is here to see him. Bateman tells Jean to...
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End of the 1980s
...football games, and hears Madonna singing “Like a Prayer.” He’s on his way to meet Jean for brunch when he is stopped by a kid with a clipboard, asking him what’s...
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At brunch, Bateman looks fondly on Jean; she looks good. She asks if there are any museum exhibitions they should visit and...
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Next, Bateman pauses the action between him and Jean to recite to the reader a long, philosophical quote about nature, the earth, truth, sex,...
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...for me to tell you any of this. This confession has meant nothing…” Back with Jean, Bateman continues to hear about her feelings. She thinks he’s sweet, which is sexy, and...
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...an epiphany: he realizes that nothing he can do or say will change the way Jean feels, and that it is more her image of him that is controlling his behavior...
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Valentine’s Day
...note telling her she’s fat and he never wants to see her again, and for Jean, a number of expensive, beautiful gifts delivered to her home.
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New Club
...to calm himself. He then declines to take a number from a woman and brings Jean, his date, back to his apartment.
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