"The Rules of Attraction" Response Paper

Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, The Rules of Attraction, criticizes the lifestyle of students in the 1980s. Their infatuation with sex, drugs, alcohol, and materialism causes the characters in the novel to lead half lives. Camden University, a small, liberal arts college in New England is full of rich kids that spend all their parents money on unnecessary commodities. They numb themselves through substance use but at the same time want to get to know each other. This search for closeness with another person is in vain because no one is able to make a connection.

The conclusion of The Rules of Attraction is interesting in that there is no real character development throughout the plot. At the end of the novel, each character ends up in almost exactly the same situation that they were in the beginning. All the problems that were troubling the characters originally are left unsolved. This is radical in that Ellis is implying that there is no real solution to the problems in life. In a typical narrative, the hero pursues a goal in the face of opposition. This pursuit usually leads to a character arc and development. Since there is no real opposition to the characters, they eventually get what they want and then decide that they don’t really want whatever it is anymore and decide to pursue something else without a change in their character. And since everything else is so easy, when they cannot obtain their goal, they feel that all is lost and completely give up, like Mary.

The movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High also reflects Ellis’ view on the culture of the 80s. At Ridgemont High, the students don’t really take their classes seriously. In contrast to the students at Camden, these students are not as rich however, they are not poor either. These students also are looking for a connection with their peers, ironically, the only real connection between two students, Stacy and Rat, does not involve any sex or drugs. It seems that all the characters at both Camden and Ridgemont believe that by having sex with someone, you will automatically be closer. But because sex has become as common as shaking hands with someone, it loses its importance. In Stacy and Rat’s relationship, their abstinence causes them to get to know each other in less intimate ways, which ultimately causes a deeper relationship between the two characters.

According to Woody Allen, “Its not the quantity of your sexual relations that counts. It’s the quality. On the other hand, if the quantity drops below once every eight months, I would definitely look into it.” At Camden University, there is never a problem with the quantity of sexual relations. However, the quality has much room for improvement. Woody Allen’s opinion of sex is the complete opposite of a majority of the students in The Rules of Attraction. The main goal of the students at Camden is just to get laid, by whoever, whenever. Sean once wonders why he is not enjoying a sexual encounter and then he realizes that he can’t remember the last time he had sex sober. Allen on the other hand, is more of a supporter of having sex to signify the closeness between a couple.

The characters in The Rues of Attraction relate to each other as commodities rather than people. The materialism that was prevalent in the 1980s greatly influenced the Camden students. Coming from rich and affluent families, these students were raised on luxuries and learned to accept nothing less. Their feelings of superiority are emphasized throughout the novel, especially through Sean and Richard, or Dick. Both characters have a certain air about them which is displayed in their everyday routine and also when they feel the need to have their way. Sean’s use of phrases such as “rock ‘n’ roll” and “deal with it” reveal his opinion on how he should always have the final say and that it is his way or the highway. Dick is different in the way that he imposes himself upon others, rather than just ending the conversation like Sean, Dick will persist until others give into his ways.

Overall, Ellis’ portrayal of college life in his novel, The Rules of Attraction, displays students as materialistic, under the influence, and aloof.

Works Cited
Ellis, Bret Easton. The Rules of Attraction. New York: Vintage, 1987.
Heckerling, Amy. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Universal Studios, 1982.
Silverberg, Cory. “Sexuality.”
About. 8 Jan. 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2009.
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