Function/Reverse Outline Worksheet: Camille Peer Edit

Paper Main Claim/Thesis: The cinematic elements in American Psycho are used to juxtapose the
audience’s views of Bateman both as a psychopath and as a relatable human, highlighting the
difficulty in understanding human nature.

Paragraph 1
Idea: Juxtaposition of audience’s connection to Bateman and his psychopathic nature
Function: Introduce the essay
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph has an interesting hook that draws in the reader by making an assertion about
the film as a whole. This introduction is also effective in that it serves as both a hook and a
naïve consensus.

Paragraph 2
Idea: The isolation of Bateman’s monologue allows the audience to better understand his
character
Function: Introduce the concept of the audience’s connection to Bateman
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph is cued effectively and does a good job of introducing the argument to the
audience. The paragraph could be further developed by adding more context. At what point in
the film does the scene take place? What is Bateman talking about in his monologue that
makes it so powerful?

Paragraph 3
Idea: The scene described previously helps develop the audience’s connection with Bateman
Function: Elaborate further on the idea introduced in paragraph 2
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph is effective in further explaining the idea presented in the previous paragraph, as
well as elaborating on its significant. The argument could be strengthened by placing the scene
in the context of the movie as a whole. For example, when you say that his “inner thought
processes are not explained”, maybe give some context as to what you mean. How is the scene
you are analyzing different from the previous scenes in the film?

Paragraph 4
Idea: A different scene completely contradicts the audience’s previously established connection
with Bateman by reminding them of his psychopathic nature
Function: Introduce the second half of argument
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
While the description of the visual and cinematic elements of the scene are described very well,
I think that the author could elaborate more in order to keep their promise to the reader (in the
topic sentence). Why does Bateman’s expression cause the audience to question their own
judgement? What is the connection between his psychopathic nature and the judgement of the
audience?
Paragraph 5
Idea: The use of lighting in the scene reflects the contrast between Bateman’s humanity and his
psychopathic nature.
Function: Further elaborate on how cinematic elements bring out Bateman’s psychopathic
nature
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph could use a little more elaboration to explain Bateman’s dichotomy, especially
the phrase “nonhuman thought processes”. What has he done throughout the film to prove to
the audience that he is nonhuman?

Paragraph 6
Idea: The audience’s inability to distinguish Bateman as a sociopath or a “normal” human is
reflective of human nature.
Function: Explain the significance of argument made in previous paragraphs
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph does a great job at explaining the significance and relevance of the argument
that the author has developed thus far in the essay. The topic sentence is appropriate for the
paragraph and effectively notifies the reader of what is to follow.

Paragraph 7
Idea: The use of language is sometimes ineffective at communicating our ideas, especially
confession.
Function: Introduce a different but related theme
Is the paragraph cued effectively? Is the paragraph sufficiently developed?
The paragraph effectively brings another dimension to the author’s argument, making the
overall claim of the paper stronger. The paragraph could be better connected to the previous
paragraph by elaborating more on how exactly language is used in the movie. What is an
example of when Bateman confesses and everyone ignores him? How does this demonstrate a
failure of language to communicate our ideas?

Paragraph 8 (conclusion)
Idea: The movie reflects the overall lack of communication between humans.
Do the thesis and the body of the essay match?
For the most part, the body of the essay sticks to proving the argument presented in the thesis.
However, the thesis does not elaborate on what the author talks about in the last body
paragraph of the paper (the use of language in the film and how language sometimes fails to
connect us as humans). I would mention language at some point in the thesis.

Are there redundant paragraphs?

No! Each paragraph severs a very distinct purpose, and the paragraphs flow together logically
and smoothly.

Are there missing paragraphs?

I think you could use a couple more paragraphs just to elaborate more on the point you make
about language in paragraph 7, as right now it seems a little out of place. You mention it again
in the conclusion, but this makes the essay end a little abruptly – I would love to know more
about how language affects your argument! Maybe give some textual evidence for the
argument itself, like an example of one of Bateman’s attempts to confess, then explain how the
cinematic elements used in this failed confession highlight the failure of language to convey our
ideas.

Does the sequence of the paragraphs make logical sense?

Yes! It was an unconventional choice to include analysis/significance in a different paragraph
than the actual textual evidence for the argument, but it worked very nicely.